Black Sky
by SilverSongtress
Summary: After tragedy strikes Flora's home, she decides to leave Helia and her friends. They search for her, but she is nowhere to be found...A few years later sees a rebellion forming in Linphea. Against better judgement, Helia joins this rebel force, unaware of exactly what he's getting himself into.
1. Chapter 1

**Black Sky**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Winx Club or it's characters. No copyright infringement intended

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Chapter 1

It was a beautiful day, even by Linphean standards. Its sky was cloudless and bright, its sun made everything look diamond-dipped. Flora took this as a sign and lay in the soft grass for a long as she could. She had nothing to worry about. All the kingdoms where safe, her friends were safe in their home planets, and Helia was safe in his parents' home on the Northern Linphea. Everyone was safe. She closed her eyes and smiled happily at that thought.

Of a sudden, she felt shadow crossed over her. She assumed it was a passing cloud so her eyes remained closed, and she remained in her daydreams.

"Hi," a voice from the shadow said. Flora eyes flew opened and she immediately sat up. Before her eyes could adjust to the light she flung her arms around the figure kneeling beside her, knocking them both to the ground. _Not a shadow then, _she thought, _a light. _

"Hi," she said, smiling widely. Helia chuckled and said "Hi" again.

It had been weeks since she'd last seen him and only expected to see him when she went back to Alfea. "What are you doing here?" she asked him. "I came to see you. I couldn't wait another two weeks"

Flora sighed and lay her head on his chest. "I don't wanna go back," she said. "I just wanna stay here forever. With you."

Helia smiled, stroked her hair and said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

And so it was like that they stayed until the sky turned black.

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Its too short, I know.

It'll get longer, I promise!

Rate and Review.

'Til the next chapter =D


	2. Chapter 2

**Soo, I forgot to mention that this story is set after season 3. Far as I'm concerned the rest of the seasons don't exist.=P**

**Hope you like it so far...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club or its characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Chapter 2

It took all their effort to leave their Eden, but eventually they did.

The walk home was quiet. Hand in hand they walk, silent and content. Flora could only think of how lucky she is to have someone like Helia. She could never imagine her life without him. It would a life with no purpose, she thought.

Lost among these thoughts Flora almost missed the singled storey face brick house she called home.

"They'll be so happy to see you," she said as she led to the front door. Helia smiled at her enthusiasm. Flora's family was as close to his heart as his own.

As Flora neared the door she noticed that it was left ajar…nothing unusual for her family, but it sent a terrible feeling down her spine.

"What's wrong?" asked Helia sensing her unease.

"Nothing." She hesitated for a moment, then pushed the door open.

As she entered she called for her parents, for her sister but no answer came. Flora's heartbeat began to race. Something was terribly wrong. She could feel it. She called for them again, but still no answer. She left Helia in her lounge and began to search the house. The house was small so it didn't take Flora long to realize they were nowhere in the house.

"Flora, what's going on?"

She jumped at the sound of Helia's voice. She didn't bother giving him an answer. Instead she said, "Maybe they're out in the backyard!" and bolted out of Miele's room.

It made sense that they would be in the backyard. They often slept outside when the weather was favourable. Flora flung the back door open and came to a halt. What she saw unleashed a scream that pierced the peaceful night. Helia, who was right behind her, was only able stare at the sight before him as Flora collapsed in his arms.

Though it was dark Helia could make out blood on the grass. He could see clearly three figures slain…Flora's family. He knees grew weak, his breath became laboured. He sank to his knees with Flora still in his grip.

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When Flora came to, the only thing she remembered was blood. Blood on the grass, blood on her mother, blood on her father, blood on her sister. It couldn't have been real. It was only a terrible nightmare. She would go to the kitchen and her father would be there making breakfast. Her mother would be tending the garden. Her sister would be feeding the animals that wandered their property.

Flora would help her father with breakfast, and as they ate they would plan their day. A trip to the beach maybe…

The sound of the door opening pulled her out of her thoughts. Blinking, she realized that she was in a bedroom, but this wasn't her room…nothing looked familiar. She turned toward the door to find Helia looking her. The pained expression on his face told her everything was real.

Her family was dead. "No…"she whispered. "No…no, no, no, no…"

Suddenly Helia was at on the edge of the bed holding her as she cried. She clung on to him and cried until she felt the she could cry no more….but still the tears came, drowning her in grief.

Helia held her tightly. Her fingernails dug into his skin, his shirt was soaked through, but he held on, keeping her safe in his embrace.

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**Reviews are much appreciated!**

**"Til the next chapter =D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for the good reviews! Makes me wanna get a move on with this story. Again thank you =)**

**Hope you enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or its characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Chapter 3

There were few things that Flora was aware of. She knew that she was in her neighbour's house. She knew that people brought her food, and that they took it back after a few hours. She could hear people talking to her, she just didn't know what they were saying. She knew when the clock struck, she just didn't care for the time. She knew that an entire day had passed and her parents were still dead.

Helia on the other hand was aware of everything. He knew the precise time, the Linphean officials came to investigate. He answered all their questions on behalf of Flora. He was aware that they were annoyed when he said they couldn't see her right now. He knew that when they left Flora's neighbour forced some bitter tea down his throat.

"For your strength," the old lady said, and then poured a cup for him to take to Flora.

He walked up the stairs to the guest room that Flora occupied. He pushed the door opened and found her by the small window seat, hand under her chin, staring up at the night sky-exactly where he left her one hour ago. She didn't turn to look at him, instead she continued to stare at the sky. Without a word, he walk over to her, sat down on the other end of the window seat and placed the teacup on the window sill. He reached for her other hand, gripped it in his own and sat with her in silence. Helia watch her as she continued to stare blankly at the sky. He wished he knew how to rid her heart of such pain. He wished she would talk to him, for any reaction at all. No sooner had the thought entered his mind Flora said "I could've saved them."

She said it so softly that it was a wonder he heard her at all. "Flora-"he started, "You couldn't have known."

At that, she turned to look at him. The look in her eyes made his throat ache. "I should've have been there!" she exclaimed, her voice steady as a shallow stream. "I shouldn't have been out so long. If I had come home earlier….I…I could've saved them." She turned back to the window. "Or, at the very least, died with them."

Helia narrowed his eyes at her. "You can't possibly blame yourself for this, can you?" When she wouldn't look at him, he reached out and gently turned her face toward him, tilted her chin upward so that she was forced to look at him. "Then who do I blame? Tell me that!" He felt her eyes searching his. "I don't know," he said, though it killed him to say it.

In utter defeat, Flora slumped against the wall, and closed her eyes against a new torrent of tears. Helia immediately scooped her up in his arms and laid her on the bed. He lay beside her, stroking her hair as she drifted off to sleep. His heart broke every time he looked at her. He wanted so much to go after whoever did this to her and her family. But even if he knew who to go after, he couldn't never leave Flora's side.

Adelia Rayne was sitting in her lounge, thinking of how the day unravelled. She had known Flora ever since she was a little girl. Flora was the grandchild she never had. She loved the girl with all her heart. When the young man with long, blue-black hair kicked at her door, screaming for help, she never imagined that it would be Flora laying limp in his arms. She never imagined that he would bring such tragic news. She knew Flora's heart was fragile and delicate. For this to happen to her, of all people, brought tears to her eyes. She didn't know how this poor girl would survive this, or if she even would. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and looked up to see the long-haired, young man reach the landing. He caught her stare and walked toward her. She noticed the teacup, still full with tea, in his hand. "May I join you?" he asked. His calm, polite tone threw her off slightly. After the chaos of today, and those rude officials who barged into her home, she thought she'd never hear a calm voice again. "Of course, dear," she said, finally, and gestured toward the seat in front of her. He set the teacup down the side table, and settled himself on the edge couch. He rested his elbows on his knees, and interlaced his fingers. "I'm sorry," he said. "For causing you so much trouble. But, yours was the only light on, and I didn't know what else to do…I'm sorry. Come morning, I'll find another place for us, so we won't have to bother you anymore." He said everything so quickly that Adelia had no time to interject. So the when he opened his mouth to say more, she held up her hand and said "Stop."

The young man's mouth closed instantly. Adelia continued firmly, but gently, "I've known Flora her whole life, there is no need for you to go. Nor is there a need to apologize."

He blinked at her several times, until she could see the comprehension in his expression. He said nothing, and instead, rested his head against his hands, and breathed in deeply. Adelia watched this stranger closely. She could tell that he too was grieving. Suddenly she realized that she'd been letting a stranger traipse around her house all day. She didn't know, for sure, his relation to Flora. She didn't even know his name. All she knew was that he held Flora in his arms, and apparently that was all she needed to let him in. "What is your name?" she asked him. His head popped up, his face was a mixture of weariness and confusion. "Huh?" he stared. "Oh…my name…Helia."

She smiled and said "My name is Adelia. We've been around each other all day, and we didn't know each other's names. Funny, isn't it?" All he said was "Yeah." She tried to get a better look at his face, but his long hair covered most of it. "I've never seen a man with as long as yours. How long have you had it that way?" Adelia didn't know why she was saying all this, but she couldn't control it. She simply had to know more about this Helia, despite given circumstances. But before she could ask her next pointless question, Helia spoke: "Ms Adelia, any other day I would gladly answer all your question, but not today." He looked at her with tired, mournful eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm not usually this rude. I'm just worried about Flora."

"That's quite alright." Adelia replied. "I'm not usually this nosey. I'm just worried about Flora too. She is like my own family, after all." She said that last part in hopes that he would tell her exactly what relation he had to Flora. Adelia's hopes were not in vain, as he replied "Before I met Flora, I was fine," he began. With a shaky voice he continued, "Then when she came into my life, I knew that I could never go back to being anything close 'fine'. I keep thinking that if she hadn't gone out yesterday…she would be dead too…" he trailed off. He rested his head in his hands again. Adelia notice silent tears falling.

Adelia Rayne didn't know this young man, but she knew that he would be by her side until the end of days. She knew that Flora would be safe with him. She also knew how Flora would survive this tragedy.

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**'Til the next chapter =D**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: It don't own Winx club or it characters...even after all this time.**

Chapter 4

"…_no forced entry, victims showed no signs of struggle…victims knew assailant…throats slit…"_ Bloom sighed heavily as she skimmed through the investigation report.

The Winx and the Specialists and had just arrived. They all crowded in Adelia's lounge waiting to offer Flora their support, but she didn't want it. They had decided to go in one by one, so that Flora wouldn't feel overwhelmed. So far Bloom and Musa had seen her, but their sentiments of support and love fell on deaf ears. Layla was with her now. Since she was closest to Flora, they hoped that she could elicit some type of response. Adelia then came in from the kitchen, with a tray of steaming tea. Soon after, Layla came down the stairs. They all looked at her in anticipation.

"She wouldn't even look at me," Layla said, tears welling in her eyes. No one else had the heart to see Flora now…

Adelia went into the backyard, unable to stand the sickly silent air.

The day of the funeral had arrived. It had been a week now since the death of Flora's family. Helia was almost afraid of how Flora might react to seeing her family cold and still. When he brought Flora to funeral hall, her reaction was unexpected, and it scared the life out of him. All Flora did was stare at the coffins, unblinking; unresponsive-not a single tear was shed. When people came up to her to pass their condolences, she just looked and them as if she didn't know them. She didn't speak to her friends, not even to him. She just moved like a spectre beside him.

The funeral was finally over. Flora was back in Adelia's guest room, curled on the window seat, staring out at the sky. A small part of her wanted to be downstairs with her friends, surrounded by their love. She wanted to tell them that she was glad that they were here. She wanted to eat the food that Adelia brought up to her. She wanted to fall asleep in Helia's arms. But a bigger part of her wouldn't have it. It was this cruel part of her that kept replaying the bloody images of her family. This same part that robbed her of her speech, her appetite. It snatched away every moments sleep. She had barely slept this entire week. Every time Helia came up to check on her, she pretended to fall asleep so that he wouldn't worry. Lost in thought, Flora didn't notice a hovercraft land in front of the house.

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The Winx and the Specialists were sitting in silence. No one knew what to say or what to do. They were just waiting for Adelia to come back from wherever she went. She seemed to be the only one capable of rallying a conversation.

There was a knock at the door breaking the silence in the lounge. Helia, grateful for the distraction, opened the door to find two Linphean royal guards in front of him. "Her Royal Highness Princess Krystal" one of them announced, and stepped aside to reveal the princess herself.

"Helia!" the princess exclaimed, and flung her arms around him. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Princess," Helia started, fully aware that everyone in the room was watching him intently. "What are you doing here?" he asked once she had let go off him.

"Oh, I came to pay my respects to a girl who lost her family, but I think I must have the wrong house," she replied, look around at her surroundings. She finally noticed the lounge full of people. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company." She looked at them apologetically and said "Hello" as if she'd known them for years. Before they could respond the princess said, "Wait, have you moved back to Linphea?"

Helia began to feel uncomfortable with the princess's casualness. "Princess, you don't have the wrong house…"

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"Oh, she's your girlfriend…" the Princess said. The disappointment in her voice was not lost on anyone.

"Yeah, and she really doesn't want to see anyone right now," said Stella, full of indignation, "so maybe you should leave." She obviously didn't care for the princess if Linphea.

The princess was taken aback. Clearly she wasn't accustomed to such a cold welcome.

"Stella!" exclaimed Bloom. "I'm sorry but Stella can be a bit abrupt at times." Bloom said to Princess Krystal.

The princess gathered herself and continued, "No, it's alright. I completely understand. I jumped to conclusion. I should've have known better." Her gaze flicked to Helia, who still hadn't recovered from his discomfort. "Helia, I am truly sorry. Had I known, I would've been prepared…But it was still nice to see you again." She smiled up at him and left with the grace befitting a princess.

As soon as the princess left, Stella walked up to Helia, with no manner of grace at all, and smacked his arm.

"OW!" he exclaimed rubbing his arm. "What the hell was that for?"

"Why was the Princess of Linphea flirting with you?" she yelled. "How do you know her? How does _she_ know you?" Stella was about to open her mouth for the next question but Tecna stopped by sticking her elbow in Stella's side. "Hey! Why'd you do that?"

"Because you needed you shut up," answered Tecna in a matter-of-fact tone, then turned her attention to Helia. "So, how exactly do you know the princess?" They all wanted an explanation.

Helia sighed, his discomfort increasing by the second. "Well, in a nutshell…I was supposed to marry her. Then I ran off to art school."

Everyone was visibly surprised at this new information but this time it was Layla who started yelling. "Wait, what? You were gonna marry the princess! The PRINCESS! Oh my God, does Flora know?"

"Of course she knows," Helia replied, clearly offended that they thought he'd keep such a thing from her.

"Then why didn't she tell us?" Stella asked.

"Because she doesn't gossip like you," announced Riven casually. Musa promptly smacked him upside the head. "Ow" he yelped.

Stella looked offended but before she say anything, Sky asked Helia "Dude, how? You would have to be some kind of nobility to marry a princess."

All Helia was nod in agreement as realization hit his friends. He could see all sorts of questions on their faces. "I'm going to check in Flora," he said before he made his escape.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Winx Club or its characters. No copyright infringement intended.

Chapter 5

Flora was sitting alone in the woods while her friends taught classes at Alfea. It had been a month since they had returned to Magix. She seemed to be doing better, but she was still quiet and withdrawn. She spent most of her time in the woods; sometimes alone, sometimes with Helia. She tried as much as she could to join in with her friends but she couldn't bring herself to do much more than be there. And she felt awful for it. She knew that they were only trying to help, but it was overwhelming to have 5 people constantly trying to change her mood. Only Helia understood that she needed time and space. But even with him she felt tortured and lost.

She'd told him how felt about losing her family-the feelings of emptiness and despair. But she never told him about the guilt she still carried with her. It stole every moment's peace from her. It was the reason her smile faltered, the reason she stayed up at night. But more than that, she felt helpless, and inadequate…a burden to her friends. She knew that they all looked out for her as she wasn't as strong or brave as her friends, now more so than ever.

Lost in this train of thought, Flora didn't notice Helia come up behind her. He touched her shoulder, she jumped out her skin and almost attacked him with her magic.

"Whoa! Flora, stop! It's me! Helia!" he exclaimed before she could release her hit.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" Flora said, eyes wide in shock at what she almost did to Helia. He walked over to her, and held her close. "It's okay." He said softly. He pulled back, brushed the hair away from her face. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Looking for you. You've been gone for hours." He answered.

Flora was confused. She couldn't have been here more than two hours. "No, that can't be. I-"

"Flora, you've been gone for 7 hours," Helia interrupted, wearing a concerned expression. "Haven't you checked your messages?"

She tried to remember exactly when she got to the woods, tried to discern how long she'd really been here. She'd left her room in Alfea early; before her friends woke up. She'd left note saying that she'd be back in two hours. She knew they'd worry otherwise. She couldn't' have really been gone that long, could she?

"Flora!" Helia's voice snapped her out of her thought. "My messages? No, I don't have my phone with me. I must've forgotten it at Alfea.' She said blinking up at him. He dropped his hands from her sides and let out a frustrated breathed.

"Dammit, Flora! We talked about this!" He was now visibly frustrated. He kept telling her to have her phone with at all times. He kept reminding her to be aware of herself, and her surroundings. He was worried that the person who killed her family would come after her. "You know I can't be with you all the time. You need to be more alert. What if something happened to you?" he said severely, hands gripping her arms.

Helia didn't get angry very often so Flora knew that this was serious; that his frustration was because of her. She brought her hand up to his cheek and said softly, "Nothing happened to me. I'm okay." His gripped loosened. "Even if something did happen,' she continued, "I would've been fine. I mean, I did almost end you." She expected Helia to smile at her attempt at a joke, poor as it was, but his expression only grew more severe. He looked like he was going to yell, but all his expression soften as he said "Let's just get you home." He took her hand and they walked in silence.

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Back at Alfea, the Winx and the Specialist were waiting for Helia and Flora. After Helia had informed them that he had found Flora, they had decided to meet up in the girls' room.

"I still can't believe that Helia didn't tell us that he's nobility," said Layla as she flopped on the couch next to Nabu. "Or that he was betrothed to that awful Princess Krystal," added Stella.

"You've met her before?" asked Brandon, standing with his arm draped on Stella's shoulder.

"Well, no…but you can totally tell she's awful! I mean, look at the way she globbed onto Helia," she nonchalantly justified her opinion.

"You can't judge her based on that. She didn't know that Helia has a girlfriend," Tecna rationalized.

"I don't care. I don't like her." said Stella simply.

They were quiet for a while until Musa said, "Can you imagine if Helia did marry her. He'd be a king."

"Intelligent. Calm. Mature. I think Helia would make a great king," said Bloom. They all nodded in agreement.

"So what kind of nobility is he?" asked Sky. "Baron's son?"

"He didn't say," Timmy answered.

"Really? He didn't tell you guys?" Stella aimed her question at the Specialists.

"I don't see why you guys care so much. I mean, he's still the same Helia," said Riven, leaning casually against a window.

Once again they all nodded in agreement.

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Helia and Flora neared the roomed she shared with the girls. She hoped that they were all off doing their own thing now that they knew she was safe. But when she opened the door she was dismayed to see the crowded living room. Flora knew it was unfair to feel that way so she put on a smile and braced herself as they rushed toward her. Layla hugged her tight and said "We're so glad you're safe."

"I wasn't in any danger," offered Flora. But no one seemed to hear. They all rambled on about how dangerous it is for her to be away for so long; or how reckless it is to be alone in the woods; or what would've have happened if someone (or something) had attacked her. This happened anytime Flora was out longer than she should. Or anytime that she didn't reply immediately to their messages. It surprised her that they hadn't put a tracking spell on her yet. But because she knew her friends were only looking out for her, she tolerated it. _Soon_, she thought, _it would be over._

"Guys, really, I'm fine," Flora assured them. They looked at her sceptically. "Yes, I'm sure," affirmed Flora, before they asked the question.

"Well, then in that case," started Brandon enthusiastically, "let's all go get something to eat." Everyone looked at Flora expecting her to decline, but instead, she smiled and said "Why not?" Stella let out cheer as she and Brandon led the party out of Alfea.

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Hours later, the girls were back at Alfea. They tried to traipse through quietly so they wouldn't wake anyone up. It wasn't easy as drunk Stella was louder than sober Stella, and drunk Musa was louder still. Eventually they managed to get to their room without causing a commotion. They burst in and they erupted into fits of laughter, for no apparent reason. Flora, the only sober one wrangled each of the girls into their now individual bedrooms. She then made her way to her room and sat on the edge of her bed. She fingered the owl pendent on the necklace that Helia had given her on their first anniversary. It was the first gift he had ever bought for her, and she hadn't taken it off since. She closed her eyes and pictured Helia. She jotted down every detail of him in her mind: his velvet voice, his dark eyes, and his mischievous smile. She noted his kindness, his softness, his strength. When she hugged him goodbye, she held on little longer so that she could remember the feel of him. She committed their last kiss to her memory. "Goodbye," she had said looking into his eyes for the last time.

Flora inhaled deeply and opened her eyes. She went to her closet and swapped out her skirt and wedges for jeans and sturdy boots. She shoved all the cash she had into her pockets and slipped out the window. She climbed down the vines outside her window and walked into night leaving everything she knew behind her.

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**Hello all you lovely people**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing my story. The great comments keep me motivated. :)**

**PS: Writing dialogue for ten people is ridiculous. I hope it made sense...**

**'Til the next chapter :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so I'm just gonna skip the part where I make excuses for my delayed action...but I'm so sorry I'm this late. **

**Moving on...**

**Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. I do not own Winx Club**

Chapter 6

When Helia woke early the next morning he had a strange feeling in his gut. Careful not to wake his roommate, Timmy, he got out of bed and dismissed the feeling. He had breakfast plans with Flora, and he couldn't wait to see her. As he showered and dressed, he thought back to the night before. She'd laughed when Riven fell off his chair. She cheered when Musa and Layla took to the stage. It was the happiest he'd seen her since her family had died. The fact that she was returning to her usual self made Helia happier than he'd ever been, but he still he couldn't shake off the bad feeling he had. He felt like something was missing maybe, or like he'd forgotten something -he couldn't really tell. He hoped that this odd feeling would disappear once he saw Flora. With that thought in mind, he rushed out the door eager to see her.

Helia arrived at their favourite café ten minutes early, and sat down at their usual spot, waiting for Flora. He waited for what seemed like hours, but turned out to be fifteen minutes. Then suddenly she was an hour late. He thought maybe she was still tired from last night and woke up late. _She'll be here soon, _he thought, eyes fixed on the door. But, another hour went by, as did three missed calls, and still no sign of Flora. The strange feeling he had grew with each passing minute. He got up and rushed toward Alfea. He hoped it was nothing, he hoped he was being paranoid.

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Back at the girls' room, things were quiet. They were still sleep, but a knock on their door woke Bloom up. She dragged herself out of bed, cursing whoever was at the door. She opened the door to find Helia standing there with a worried expression on his face. "Helia? What are you doing here?" she asked, still half asleep.

"Is Flora here?" he asked quickly, eyes darting about the room.

"I'll go get her," Bloom said while she motioned for Helia to come inside. Seconds later Bloom shuffled out of Flora's room, "She's not here."

Helia's heart rate pick up. He pushed past Bloom and went into Flora's room. It was impeccably neat, as usual- bed made, phone on the bedside table, sunlight streaming in. Everything was as it was…but something felt different. _She's gone_, the sudden thought was like an arrow through the heart. He shook the thought out of his head.

"Maybe she went to the woods?" Bloom, who was stand at the doorway, suggest.

Helia looked at her and said, "We were supposed to meet for breakfast…why would she-"

"Maybe she forgot," she said slowly. "You know how she's been recently…she's probably daydreaming in the woods."

Helia said nothing as he made his way out of the room. Bloom just shrugged and went back to sleep, thankful that it was Saturday. She was sure that Flora was fine.

* * *

Helia searched the woods until it grew dark. He called her name until it sounded as if the birds were mocking him with their song. He resigned himself to the fact that Flora was nowhere in the woods. He'd known it for a while now, but still he hoped he was wrong. He went back to Alfea to find everyone in the girls' room, all wearing hopeful expressions. When he entered alone, he saw their faces fall. They looked as tired and worried as he felt.

"We looked all over Magix, but we couldn't find her," started Sky, "I'm sorry…"

All Helia could do was offer a weak smile in the form of a 'thank you.'

"We told Faragonda…she said she'd use her magic to track Flora," Tecna said. "But so far, she hasn't had any luck," finished Musa.

"Do you think someone kidnapped her?" wondered Stella, as she paced around the room.

Though he hated to be the one to say it, Riven thought everyone should know. "She left," he said curtly. "She's not coming back." Everyone looked at him in shock. All at once, they offered reason as to why Flora would never leave them.

Everyone except Helia. He sat quietly, and thought carefully about what Riven said. It all made sense, why she was so seemed so happy the night before. She wanted to throw everyone of guard, maybe she want her last moments with her friends to be blissful memories. He suddenly remembered how tight she'd hugged him, how deeply she'd kissed him-as if she was saying goodbye for good. He let out a heavy breath and rubbed his hand across his eyes. When he looked up again, everyone was still crucifying Riven. There was no tangible proof that she had left, but somehow Riven knew the truth.

Maybe he did too. From the moment he woke up, he knew something was wrong. He now knew what it was. He stood up and said clearly, "Riven's right." The silence was so abrupt, it pierced the air around them. It looked as if they were about to turn their disdain toward him but instead they remained silent until Layla asked, "What do we do?"

"We look for her," Helia answered. "We bring her back home."

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**Hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
****Your reviews make my day :)  
****'Til the next chapter (Which, hopefully, won't be centuries from now)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hellooo there, look who's on time...well, kind of, anyway..**

**I hope this chapter isn't less than.**

**Disclaimer: No Copyright infringement intended. I do not own Winx Club or its characters**

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Chapter 7

Three years had passed and many things changed for the Winx and the Specialists. Sky and Bloom were married and would soon take to the Eraklyon throne. Musa was now a famous singer. Layla was off travelling with Nabu. Tecna was now a game designer and Timmy was a junior engineer on Zenith. Riven taught at Red Fountain-yes, it was a surprise to everyone. Stella and Brandon remained largely the same, with no plans other than to be in each other's company. Though they were off doing their own things, in whatever way they could, they would look for Flora. They would meet periodically with Helia to measure their progress, but in the last year those meetings had been infrequent. It came such that it was only Helia who continued the search. The rest of them no longer had the heart to do so.

It had been three years and Helia was outside Faragonda's office, scrolling through his newsfeed while he waited impatiently for her. He wasn't surprised to see that most of the news revolved around Linphea and its current state of misery. Ever since Krystal took the throne two years ago, things in Linphea had been less than ideal. Helia remembered getting invited to her coronation. He was alone in his apartment thinking about Flora. He considered going, but the thought of spending the night with stuffy royals made him want to gouge his eyes out. Maybe if Flora were with him, he would've managed…but she wasn't…he didn't know where she was. So when Faragonda contacted him and told him she had something important to tell him, he'd rushed over thinking she had finally found a clue as to where Flora might be.  
Finally, Grizelda came out of Faragonda's office and motioned for him to go in. Helia didn't notice that she had a strange look on her face, like she felt sorry for him. As she walked away she hoped that the boy would be alright.

Helia walked in, hopes held high, to see Faragonda staring out the window. "Helia, please sit," she said calmly. He did as told and waited for her to face him. When she did, her expression was clear of any emotion. "Helia, it has been three years since Flora has left and in those years we've all been tirelessly looking for her." Helia supressed a rude noise as Faragonda said "all". He was the only one still looking for her. With the exception of Faragonda, everyone else just seemed to let Flora fade into their memories, content to keep her there.  
"But, I think it's time we stop now," she said clearly, looking Helia straight in the eye.  
"What?! Why?!" Helia said, unintentionally raising his voice. He was standing up now, "No! We can't! We're going to find her!"

Faragonda's expression soften as she said, "Helia, I want you to listen to me. As you know, each person's magic is specific to that individual. As such, when an individual uses his or her magic it leaves a residue of sorts." Faragonda was stalling and she knew it, but she couldn't help it. "Fairies and wizards can track this residue-"  
"Does this mean you found her?" he interrupted, eyes filled with hope.  
"No," Faragonda started, "What I'm saying is that…well, even using this method, I've not been able to find her…" She waited for Helia to absorb this information. She then saw realization dawn upon him.  
"Then she must not be using her magic," Helia said confidently. Faragonda sighed and walked over to him. She raised her hand to his shoulder, "My son, what kind of fairy doesn't use her magic? We have face to the possibility that Flora may not be alive anymore..."  
Helia heard his hope fall to the ground, he felt his heart wither away. _ No. it couldn't be. _He could barely look at Faragonda, he barely acknowledge her tears. Helia's expression turned severe, anger flashed in his eyes; he looked as if he was going to explode. Instead, he turn and walked soundlessly out of Faragonda's office.

Faragonda watch Helia's ponytail swing behind him as he walked away, the weight of his anger still hung in the air. She sat down heavily in her chair. Fatigue and sleep deprivation suddenly catching up to her. She ignored it though, as tears fell freely onto her desk. It was not the first time that she had lost a student, but it was the first time that she had lost a daughter. It was not the first time she had to relay such news to loved ones, but it was the first time she was met with anger, rather than grief.

After walking about aimlessly for an hour, Helia found himself at a bar, a drink already old before him. He was mad as hell at first. Mad at his friends for giving up, mad at Faragonda for telling him the truth. He was mad at Flora for leaving, mad at his inability to find her. Now…now, he didn't know what he was. As hard as it was, the three years that Flora was missing was far easier to handle than the few hours that she'd been dead. When she was simply missing, there was hope that he'd find her and they'd be together again. There was hope that he'd be happy again. Now that she was dead…there was nothing to hope for. He wished that someone would run a knife through his heart, right here…right now. It would be far less painful than what he would feel once the numbness wore off.

He was staring at the golden liquid in his glass when his phone rang. It was not the first time since leaving Faragonda's office that his phone rang. It was his friends calling and texting; he didn't bother to answer until now. It was Riven calling, so he decided to answer. In the recent years, he and Riven had grown as close as brothers. Riven was the only one who spoke to him without pity and bias. Riven was the only one he could talk to without the fear of being lied to. Five minutes later Helia was no longer alone at the bar, instead he had a spiky-haired companion beside him. Neither spoke, they just sat in quiet solidarity.

It was just over six months since that day, and Helia lived only enough such that the people around him couldn't notice that he was dying inside. Before he would do odd jobs just to get by, but now he worked under Red Fountain's security detail. He ate his meals on time and slept at a decent hour. He kept his skills sharp, his physique lean. Nothing about him changed, he even wore his hair the same. Nothing about him changed except…except that he barely smiled, and barely spoke. He never contacted his friends, however hard they tried. He stopped painting, he stopped his poetry. Eventually, he stopped feeling altogether.

Each night he would find himself at that same bar. He'd only order one drink and lose himself in his thoughts. Most nights he wouldn't finish his drink, some nights he never even touch it. He didn't even know why he ordered it, perhaps it was for the sake of ceremony. Some nights Riven joined him, most nights he sat alone. Tonight, when he entered the bar, he felt emptier than usual. He found his usual spot and ordered the unwanted drink. He let his hair fall over his face as he hid from the world. Few minutes had gone by when Helia felt someone beside him. He knew it wasn't Riven as he was off on a date. He thought that maybe it was another one of those annoying woman hoping to save him from his grief. It was no secret that he was the man who lost the one he held dearest to him. But when he looked up he saw someone else entirely, a man he'd known from, what seemed like, a lifetime ago

"Helia?" the man questioned. He was average height with a strong physique. He had light brown hair that fell to his shoulders in choppy waves.  
"Jaryn?" Helia responded. Before Helia could say anything further, the man clapped him on the back and said exclaimed "Helia! I can't believe it! After all these years and I find you at a bar, of all palces!"  
Helia gave a small smile and said "It's good to see you, my friend. You look well."  
Helia knew Jaryn from art school and he still looked and behaved the same. Jaryn smiled widely, "So do you! Really, you haven't changed a bit. Except that you're in a bar! And your hair is much longer. What have you been up to you since leaving art school?" Helia hated this question, but he answered as he knew Jaryn wouldn't accept silence. "I graduated from Red Fountain a few years back and I work there as part of their security detail."  
Jaryn raised his eyebrows in response. "Red Fountain? I thought you weren't gonna go back there."  
Helia was surprised at how casual this conversation was. He hadn't spoken to Jaryn in years, and yet here they were, talking as if they'd never parted ways. "Was it a girl? It was, wasn't?" he continue, heedless of Helia's pained expression. "She must've been some kind of girl. I mean, if she could get you to stay at Red Fountain. So what's her name?"  
Helia remained quiet for a while before he could answer, "Flora. Her name was Flora." His voice was hoarse, strangled almost.

This, Jaryn noticed. "Hey man, you alright?" he asked, concerned for his old friend.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," he cleared his throat before he continued. "It's just that she died a while back."  
Helia took a swig of his drink just to have something to distract him from the pity in Jaryn's eyes. Before Jaryn could offer his condolences, Helia set his glass down and asked quickly, "So what have you been up to?"  
He was caught somewhat off guard, but he never missed a beat. "Oh me? I've been here and there. You know, doing this and that," he replied with confidence. Helia chuckled at that, and said "It sounds very interesting."  
"Oh, you have now idea," Jaryn replied looking at his watch. "Look, I gotta go. It was good seeing you again, man. And hang in there."  
Helia thanked his friend and smiled to himself as Jaryn walked away. He was glad that the years had not changed him. He thought it would be nice to see him again. No sooner had he had this thought, Jaryn returned and stood close by him, too close for Helia's comfort. But before he could say anything, in hushed tones Jaryn said, "There is rebellion forming in Linphea. Things are far worse than it seems. If you want in meet me at this address in an hour." Helia's phone pinged, and he picked it up too see an address flashing on his screen. "What-" but when he looked up again Jaryn had already left.

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**Thanks for all the reviews. **  
**It hits me in the deep in the feels.**

**"Til the next chapter =)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello there. How you been? Great? Me too :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or its characters. No copyright infringement intended**.

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Chapter 8

"So you're just gonna up and leave then?"

Helia was throwing his belongings into a duffel bag as he listened to Riven lecture him about being reckless, and stupid, and insane. Helia found this amusing as reckless, stupid and insane were the things that Riven did best. After he'd mentioned this all Riven said was, "Yeah, not you! You're supposed to be the sensible one! Not the one running after a rebellion!"

Helia stopped packing and turned to Riven. "It's been fifteen minutes since you showed up and started this lovely lecture. I was just wondering when you're planning on shutting up?" he asked in mock propriety. Helia had left a message on Riven's phone saying that he would be leaving and he didn't know when he'd be back. He had hoped to be gone before Riven even read the message, but that was not to be. So, here Riven was unsuccessfully trying to talk Helia out of leaving. Riven let out a frustrated sigh and began again, "Why are you even doing this?"  
Helia turned his back to him and continued throwing things into his bag. "I'm going to fight for my home," he said simply. Riven still wouldn't let go. He looked at Helia, eyes wide in disbelief, "Home? You haven't been there in three bloody years! Not since we went looking for-"

Irritation flashed in him, "Dammit Riven, would you just shut the hell up! It's still my home, and I have a responsibility toward it." Helia turned to face him once more, and looked as if he were about to punch Riven. This look, more than anything, silenced him- but only for a moment.  
"Dude, calm down." Riven was slightly taken aback. He still wasn't used to seeing Helia's anger, even though it grew more frequent in past months. Riven couldn't understand what Helia was thinking. He understood that he was stilling grieving over Flora, but that didn't mean that a suicide mission was the way to go. Riven knew that he should just shut up and let Helia do as he pleased, but he couldn't let his friend throw his life away. "Helia, what about your job? Your friends? Family?"

Helia rubbed his eyes and considered these things for a moment. His small outburst seemed to have sapped all his energy as he answered in a weary voice, "You can tell Saladin whatever you want-just don't tell him about the rebellion. You'll get on fine without me. And I haven't seen my family in ages-believe me, they're not going to miss me." He turned back to his bag and assessed its contents, then zipped it up. He checked his watch; only twenty minutes left. He walked over to his closet and pulled out a black t-shirt and dark jeans, then went into the bathroom to change. When he came out, he saw Riven pacing. No doubt he was still thinking of ways to make him stay. Riven looked at him and opened his mouth to say something, but Helia beat him to it. "Thank you," he said. He looked Riven square in the eye and continued, "And do me a favour, patched things up with Musa, will you?" With that, he handed Riven the keys to his apartment, grabbed his bag and rushed out the door.

* * *

Helia arrived at a nightclub, unsure if he got the right place. He checked the address again, but this is where he was supposed to be. The area was quiet, as expected on a Monday night. Only a few people meandered about, eyeing Helia curiously. He ignored them as he looked up at the fluorescent letters and wondered what the hell he was doing. He knew nothing about this rebellion, or if there even was one to begin with. All he knew was that he leapt at the assurance of danger. That bit about fighting for his home was a complete charade. He had the hope that he would find himself in a life-or-death situation, he hoped that death would win. Helia laughed grimly at that thought. When had he let death seduce him?

With a sigh, Helia set his bag down and leaned against the wall, then pulled out a picture from his pocket. It was a picture of him and Flora at some party. They were both looking at each other, eyes sparkling with happiness and love. It was the same one Flora had kept on her night stand; it was the only one he had. He kept it with him at all times. It was a reminder that Flora wasn't just a figure that came to him in fevered dreams.

Helia looked at his watch and found that he'd been standing outside the club for fifteen minutes. He looked about for Jaryn, but saw no sign of him. Doubt took over Helia's thoughts: _Where the bloody hell is he? Did he leave already? I was here within the hour, wasn't I? Was he just playing a trick on me?_ Thoughts of this thread swam about in Helia's head as he fiddled with the picture in his hand. After a while he put the picture back into his pocket, afraid that he might unconsciously mar it. It was another ten minutes before Helia saw a figure walking toward him. He sighed inwardly with relief. "Hey, man," started Jaryn, smiling widely, "I was hoping you'd show up."  
Helia let out a breath and said "I was beginning to think that _you_ wouldn't."  
In response Jaryn clapped Helia on the back and said "Let's go."

Jaryn led Helia to the back of the nightclub. He stood back while Jaryn exchange words with a tall, burly man, who could probably kill them both by merely sitting on them. Helia watched as the guy with large shoulders hand Jaryn an averaged sized box, the two men then shook hands and parted ways. _Must be some secret rebellion thing, _Helia thought. Jaryn walked over to Helia, smile reaching his eyes. "Look!" he exclaimed, eyes falling to the contents of the box. "Free drinks!" _  
Or not…_Helia peered into the box and saw several bottles of hard liquor.  
"You know what they say about free drinks," Jaryn said, barely able to contain his excitement. Helia shook his head and waited for an answer. Jaryn looked thoughtful for a moment, then said "Yeah, me neither."

Helia raised one eyebrow, and seriously considered this sanity of his friend. "Um, okay. So, how are we going to get to Linphea?" Jaryn now looked at Helia as if he was stupid. Holding the box with one hand, he gestured, with certain flourish, toward the empty spot a little ways before them. "By hovercraft. Duh!"  
Helia's gaze flicked to Jaryn, then to the empty spot, and then back to Jaryn. _What the hell is going on?_ Worry pricked at Helia: Was all this the imaginings of a drunk person? He'd known Jaryn to be liberal with the alcohol in art school, but he never thought it would go this far. Helia felt like kicking himself. "There's no hovercraft there!" Helia said, raising his voice.  
Confusion formed on Jaryn's face, "What? Dude, of course there is!" He looked to the spot he gestured toward. Confusion turn to realization, "Ohhhhhhh..."  
Helia expected Jaryn to panic, he thought it served him right. What idiot parked a hovercraft behind a nightclub in Magix with the hope that it would still be there? Jaryn, for his part, didn't panic nor did he curse his idiocy. He simply reached into his jeans pocket and pull out a small device with several buttons on it. He pointed the device in the direction of empty spot, and pressed down one of the buttons. Within seconds, a small black hovercraft appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Invisibility sure beats the hell out of finding parking," Jaryn stated matter-of-factly, and whistled as he walked toward it. Helia's gaze once again flicked from Jaryn to the now visible hovercraft, and back to Jaryn. Helia took a deep breath, as he followed, and decided that it would be best if he piloted the hovercraft himself. At that moment, Jaryn tripped over his own feet, and nearly toppled over with his free drinks. Helia heard the bottles jostling in the box and looked up at his friend in alarm. Jaryn noticed this and said, "There's nothing to worry about, the drinks are okay!" The relief in his voice was obvious.  
Yes, it would definitely be best if Helia took to the wheel.

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**Thanks for all the fantastic reviews. Keep 'em coming.**  
**'Til the next chapter then :P**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hellooooo. **

**So the good news is I'm still alive, so please don't kill me. Please. **

**This chapter though...took me forever to write. **

**No copyright infringement intended**

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Chapter 9

"Merla City" Jaryn had announced when they jumped off the hovercraft, now safely invisible behind yet another bar. It was late morning and the sun blared down as Jaryn led Helia through the streets of the city, box of bottles jostling merrily. Helia couldn't remember if he'd been here before, as it looked much like every other city he's ever been to. It was crowded, jaded, and anonymous, which troubled Helia greatly. This was not the Linphea he knew. Even Linphea's most dense cities echoed with the voices of nature. It wasn't difficult to feel it all around. Now, he could only feel a certain coldness, uncharacteristic of Linphea, the people barely smiled, and they moved at a sluggish pace. He knew something was definitely off, whether it involved Linphea's current monarch…he didn't know.

Helia followed Jaryn into the outskirts of the city, and further still. Although Helia _felt_ magnitude of Linphea's conditions, he was still wary of Jaryn. He still couldn't tell if this rebellion was real or not. They walked until they came to some kind of mansion. Helia tilted his head back and surveyed the four storey building. It was old, no doubt, but beautiful still, with vines twisting its way into the architecture. Great trees peeked from behind the mansion, and more were scattered around the grassy property like sentinels. Shrubbery lined the pathway leading to the front door. Helia couldn't help but notice that while it was all very grand, there was a peculiar dullness to it. The same dullness, he observed in the city. _Is all of Linphea like this?_

* * *

"…and that's how I got all these free drinks." Helia pulled himself into reality as Jaryn ended his story. _When had he started talking?_ Helia thought.  
"Quite a story," Helia said quickly, as he wracked his brain trying to remember.  
Jaryn smiled, and started talking again, unaware that Helia wasn't paying attention. They came up to the front door, a large mahogany one, carved in intricate twists and knots. Jaryn tilted his head toward the door.  
"Go on, then," he said simply, as if Helia was a regular guest coming for tea.  
Helia stood blinking at the door. This was it. An escape. A release. Just behind that door. He reached for the gilded handle and slowly pushed the handle down. The door opened with a moan that echoed within the mansion walls. Jaryn stepped in, and Helia followed closely. It was quiet, as if no one lived here. Helia's eyes darted round, looking for signs of life. He saw, at each side of the foyer, a flight of stairs with an ornate balustrade that curve up to the first floor. From the ceiling, hung a glittering chandelier. He could see his reflection on the porcelain floor. Helia had imagined a rebellion base to hidden the shadows, quiet and unassuming, not this great big building that was fit for royalty. _What the hell is this? _Helia thought.

"This way," Jaryn said as he opened a door to his right, adjacent to the front door. Inside revealed a flight of small wooden stairs. Jaryn set the box of bottles down and started up the steps. A sliver of panic ran through Helia. Why couldn't they take the other stairs? He should leave, his mind was saying. But his body moved of its own accord, and he found himself climbing the stairs, each step complaining under their weight. Helia felt as though he was climbing to his death. _But that's what you wanted, right? _He tried to focus his thoughts elsewhere, and found himself thinking of Flora, of what she might say if she were here, if she knew what he was doing, what he was thinking of. Then again, if she were here, he wouldn't be. They'd be somewhere safe, somewhere peaceful. He'd be writing poetry, and she'd be reading. He'd reach for her hand her and it would be there, solid and real. He felt an ache in his throat, and rubbed a hand across his eyes. He took in a deep breath and push his thoughts aside. _Now is not the time. _He needed to stay focused, just in case.  
At the sound of Helia's deep exhale, Jaryn turned around. "You alright, man?"  
" Yeah, I'm fine. Just how many more steps do we have climb anyway?" he asked before Jaryn could probe any further.

"Welcome to the third floor," Jaryn exclaimed, "There's nothing special about it. It's just the third floor, that's all."  
Helia said nothing as he followed Jaryn down the wide hallway. They passed several doors. Some with decoration, some without. But still no sign that people lived in this building. They stopped at the last door. Jaryn knocked loudly but no answer came. He tried again, "Scarlett, you in there?" Jaryn put his ear close to the door listening for a reply.  
"Who's Scarlett?" he asked, his voice low, as if saying the name was dangerous.  
Jaryn hadn't answered, only knocked again. Maybe he hadn't heard. Helia was about to ask again when Jaryn opened the door. It was a study, complete with shelves of books, a desk and guest seating. "Have a seat," said Jaryn as he took Helia's bag. "I'll go find Scarlett and send her up." As he turned to leave, Helia put a hand on his shoulder, "Wait! Who the hell is Scarlett?"  
"She's our leader." And with that he left closing the door behind him.

* * *

Helia sat down heavily on the couch at the far end of the room. He set his elbows on his knees and covered his face with his hands. His head was flooded with doubt. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go back to his lonely apartment. He wanted to…he didn't know what he wanted. He was so sure that he wanted to escape, but now in this confusion, he simply didn't know. Eventually, he found himself pacing the length of the room, lost in daydreams of Flora, lost in would-be's and maybe's. Suddenly the door flew opened, and shut again. Helia stood in front of the door, rooted to the spot, mouth agape, eyes wide.  
"I'm sorry to keep you waiting so-…" she stopped abruptly, her expression mirroring his.  
Helia felt his pulse race, his breath stick in his throat. There she was. Right in front him. Bronze skin, brown hair, green eyes. That voice…  
He would've thought she was an illusion, a ghost, were it not for the shocked expression she wore.  
"Flora?"

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**Sooo yeah, what did you think?****Did this chapter suck? **  
**Please tell me if the story starts to suck so that I can go die in shame.**  
**But for now 'til the next chapter...if you want one.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello all.**  
**Its really no secret that I suck at updating.**  
**Forgiveth me, please.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Winx Club blah blah blah. No copyright infringement intended**

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Chapter 10

Helia waited for her to correct him, to say "That's not my name"-anything to disprove this vision before him. He took in her black clothes, and her hair pulled into a tight pony tail.  
Recognition flashed in her green eyes.  
It couldn't be.  
It simply couldn't be. She was supposed to be dead.  
But here she stood, chest heaving up and down, up and down.  
_Is this really her?_  
"Helia?"  
Her voice… barely a whisper, but it was all he needed. He strode toward her, heart thumping in his ears, ready to hold her, to never let her go.

But she stepped back, away from him.

He stopped mid-stride. A wave of sickness took over, making his stomach twist violently. _What's happening? Why did she- why the hell would she-_  
He couldn't think.  
He couldn't breathe.  
Staring at her was the only thing he was capable of doing.  
And she stared right back, not saying anything. Not a damn word.

Helia was certain that they would have stood like that for all eternity were it not for a knock at the door. Helia watched as she turned slowly away from him. She inhaled sharply, exhaled, and then opened the door wide to reveal a woman on the other side. Helia barely noticed her; he kept his gaze fixed on this would-be Flora.  
"Scarlett,-" the woman began.  
_Scarlett? Why is she calling her that? Unless she is Scarlett. But that would mean she the leader of this rebellion._  
It's not her, Helia rationalized. It's just someone that looks an awful lot like her. She probably didn't even say his name, only a word that sounded like it. It was his mind playing games with him. She probably only stared back because he stared at her. That's why she stepped back. This Scarlett woman was not Flora. _How can she be when Flora is dead, _he reminded himself.

"And who do we have here? Scar, why didn't you tell me you had such handsome company? I so wouldn't have bothered you." Helia shifted his gaze toward the speaker. She was tall and slim, with red hair falling to her shoulders, eyeing Helia suggestively.  
"Oh, for Heaven's sake, Meg, he's a new recruit. One of Jaryn's." This Scarlett sounded unnervingly like Flora.  
"Well, lucky for us," she purred, and took a step toward Helia. He, in turn, took a step backward.  
"Meg. Get to work." _  
That voice, goddammit.  
_Meg sighed mournfully, and turned to leave. She stopped at the door, turned toward Helia, threw him a seductive smile. The Scarlett woman turned toward her and said "Good bye, Meg!", then quickly shoved her out, her protests muffled by the slam of the door.

The Scarlett woman turned toward Helia again, all composed and calm.  
"Listen," she started, looking him straight in the eye. "I don't know how you found me, but you can't tell anyone that you know me. More specifically, _how _you know me. As far as anyone is concerned this is our first meeting."

_It's her. It's really, really her.  
_But then why was she behaving this way? Why was she saying all these things? Why isn't she wrapped up in his arms?  
"No," Helia said firmly. "No. You're dead. You died! Fargonda said you died!"  
"Helia, I know this is strange, but difficult as it is, you must accept it," she said without the slightest hint of emotion. If anything, there were traces of disdain in her voice.  
_How the hell is she so calm_?  
His emotions were in overdrive. Here she was, alive, and telling him he has to accept it. _Accept what, exactly? _He felt as if he walked into some parallel universe where Flora was alive, and apparently the leader of a rebellion.

She walked toward him, and his insides twisted again. Maybe she would throw her arms around him after all, maybe she didn't mean the things she said. Maybe he was losing his mind…  
She came closer and closer toward him, and then walked past him without a second glance. She went to the desk behind him and picked up some communication device Helia had never seen before.  
"Send Jaryn to my office, please. Now." Her tone was sharp and direct, completely unlike the Flora he knew. He'd had enough of this parallel Flora. It was time to put a stop to it.  
He took a small step toward her, "Flora-"  
"That is not my name!" Her head snapped toward him, her eyes lit with something Helia couldn't recognize. "Not anymore. My name is Scarlett now. Remember that. I am not the girl you knew anymore. Consider her well and dead."  
The finality in her voice shook Helia. He was truly at a loss…a painful, blinding loss.

Before Helia could think of something to say, the door flew opened and Jaryn sashayed in, all smiles.  
"What's up, Scar?" he asked, unaware of the tension in the room. "What do you make of our new soldier?"  
She ignored his questions and simply said, "Show him around, teach him the ropes. Tomorrow we'll see where he fits." Helia noted how she spoke as if there he was really a stranger to her. As she ushered them out, she said, "He's your responsibility, Jaryn. Make sure he's useful."

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**So, how was that? Good, bad? Let me know.**  
**'Til the next chapter :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hello all. **  
**How you been?**

**Anyway, just wanna say thanks soooo much for the great reviews. Totally keeps me going.**  
**I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club. Never have, never will, sadly. No copyright infringement intended**

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Chapter 11

Flora closed her office door, and leaned back on it heavily with her face buried in her hands.  
"Oh, God. Oh, my dear God," she muttered to herself. "OhGodohGodohGodohGod."  
She slid to the floor, face still in her hands. She couldn't believe he had found her. She never though he would, especially not after that night in Adelia's house. Seeing him there, right in front of her, made her feel things she hadn't felt in a long time-all those things she hadn't allowed herself to feel. She wanted nothing than to fling herself into his arms and melt in his warmth. She was thankful that her shock paralyzed her. If she had done what she really wanted, all the blood that had been shed would have been for nothing.

But the look on his face when she told him to pretend that he didn't know her would haunt her until the day she died. She may have well stuck a knife in his chest. It would have hurt a lot less, she was sure. She completely hated herself when she walked right by him. She saw the hopefulness in his eyes, and then the devastation that followed. Maybe she should've been gentler, or maybe she really should've let him embrace her…kiss her even. _No! Absolutely not! You can't break, not now. Not ever again. Helia will just have to understand._

"Oh, Helia," she sighed mournfully. It had been years since she let herself say his name out loud. She had forgotten what a beautiful sound it made. His hurt expression flashed in her mind again. She pushed the image away and pulled herself up. _This is necessary, _she reminded herself. _You must not forget who you've became just because he's here now. He is your past, and has no place in your future._ She steeled herself against the self-loathing. For what she needed to accomplish she couldn't revert into her former self. It would undermine all the trust that she had garnered from the people who had pledged their life to this cause. She would just have to remind herself of that every time she felt like giving in. She took in several calming breaths, put her walls up, and went downstairs to see how her newest recruit was getting along.

* * *

"And this is Emelia, one of our best fighters!"  
Helia tried hard to pay attention to the introductions. After all, for all intents and purposes, these are the people he would be living with. But he couldn't shake the bizarre interaction he had with the girl he loved, the girl he thought was dead. She behaved as if she didn't love him anymore. He wonder that made her like this. Was it the death of her family? Or something else entirely? Conversation buzzed around him. Someone named Connor asked about his years at Red Fountain. Another, whose name Helia had already forgotten, asked about his hair. He answered as if on autopilot, his mind lightyears away, trying to figure out what had happened to his beloved. He'd asked Jaryn, he decided. And if Jaryn wasn't forthcoming with any answers, he resolved to get him drunk and then ask. He tried to decide if that was immoral or not. _Then again, Jaryn doesn't seem to have any problems getting-_

"So, how's our new recruit getting along?"  
That voice.  
He turned around and saw her leaning against the door frame of the common room. Her arms were crossed, her eyes expectant. She didn't smile, he noticed.  
He met her gaze and said "Fine. I'm fine." He was surprised that he had managed to even speak given that his throat had suddenly turned into a desert, and his brain into sawdust.  
"Oh, he's beyond fine," purred Meg from behind him. At this, he turned around to see the five women he had just met eyeing him appreciatively. He pointedly ignored the stink glares from the four guys he had been introduced to. He cleared his throat, hiding his discomfort. He turned back to Flora, hoping for a reaction, but all she did was shrug her shoulders as if she couldn't care less. Helia wanted to scream. He opened his mouth to say something, although what it was he wasn't sure. But Flora had beat him to it.  
"Mason, will you see to it that Helia gets something to eat. Knowing Jaryn, he probably let Helia starve all the way here."  
Helia tried to remember which one Mason was. _The big, bald one, maybe? Or the big one with the tattoos?  
_"Sure thing, Scar," said the big one with the tattoos.  
She then turned to Jaryn, and made a motion for him to follow her.

* * *

"In a bar?"  
What was Helia doing in a bar?  
"Relax, Scar. He's not some drunk I picked up. He's a real, solid guy. He's pretty torn up, but he's still Helia."  
Flora and Jaryn stood outside the house, discussing their new arrival.  
"'Still'? What do you mean by 'still'?" Flora willed her legs to stay upright as she tried d not to let any emotion show. _Jaryn knows Helia? What?_  
"Oh yeah, we were in Linphea Academy of Art together, before he went to Red Fountain. We were friends actually."  
Helia had never mentioned any Jaryn from art school. But then, he never really talked about his days there. She cleared her throat, trying to keep her voice a neutral as possible.  
"Oh, and what's he torn up about? You know we can't afford any weak links. It isn't going to affect the mission, is it?"  
It couldn't be because of her could it?  
"His girlfriend died a while a back. He's pretty level headed though, despite it. I don't think it would affect our cause. Poor guy, though. That look in his eyes when he said her name, you could tell he loved her."

Great. Just great. She drove Helia to grief and loneliness. It's not like she expected him to be fine after she left. She just thought he would find someone else to love. Someone he wouldn't have to worry about all the time. Someone better than her.  
"Scar?" Jaryn was in front of her waving his hand back and forth at her face. She swatted his hand away sharply "What?"  
"Did you hear a word I said?" _What did he say? Something about free alcohol?_  
Before she answered Jaryn put a hand on her shoulder. Her eyes locked onto his hand, one eyebrow lifted up. Jaryn dropped his hand as if he had just touched a hotplate.  
"Look," he went on, "Even though I haven't seen the guy in years, I still trust him. You should too."  
He walked backed into the house leaving her to her thoughts. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. Even after all these years she still trusted him too. It was herself she didn't trust. No matter what she told herself, she didn't know how long she could go on pretending that she didn't know him. Or how long until she would completely give in and knock on his door in middle of the night.

* * *

That night Helia lay awake trying not think about this new Flora. This Scarlett, as she now called herself. He let himself think of how she used to be…the girl he loved. It couldn't be that she changed so completely. There must be some of her in this other woman she had become. And he'd be damned if he couldn't find it. Linphea could go up in flames for all that he cared. Now that Flora was alive, nothing else mattered.

* * *

**That's it for now, I guess.**  
**Keep the reviews coming, you know I love 'em.**  
**'Til the next chapter =)**


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't even know with this chapter...really**

**Also, please don't shoot me for updating so late. Okay, thank you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club. No copyright infringement intended**

* * *

Chapter 12

Flora leaned on the door frame of the gym and watched as Helia faked left and buried his fist into his opponent's right side. His opponent doubled over, and Helia kneed him in the abdomen. He stepped back letting his opponent fall to the floor, stunning everyone into silence. Mason was their best fighter and Helia had just taken him down.  
Flora was, needless to say, surprised. Not because Mason was considerably bigger that Helia, but because she had never known Helia to be this aggressive. He avoided fighting as much as possible, and yet here he stood displaying his skills for everyone. She watched as his bare chest heaved up and down. She noticed a long scar on his left side. It hadn't been there when they were together. Her brow furrowed as she wondered what could have happened to him in the three years since she left. As usual, an uncomfortable knot settled in her stomach every time she thought about how she had left him. She hated how much it had changed him- maybe more so than how much she hated how it had changed her. She smiled to herself as Helia helped Mason to his feet. The knot in her stomach eased some knowing that she hadn't completely destroyed him.

His gaze flicked to her direction and Flora let her smile fall before Helia could notice. There's no way he'd believe she didn't care for him anymore if he knew he still had some kind of effect on her. It boggled her mind that even after all these years away from him, she felt a pull in her chest every time she looked at him or heard his voice-the same pull she felt when they were together. It was like the wall she had built around her emotions had crumbled the second she saw him. It wasn't as if she had stopped loving him; she couldn't, even if she tried. She just hadn't expected to see him again…that's all.  
It had only been two days, and already treating him indifferently was proving to be difficult. Especially when Meg looked at him the way she did, the way she was looking at him now. She liked Meg, she reminded herself. Really, she did. And Helia was unattached-he could do whatever he wanted, with whomever he wanted. She had no hold over him. He wasn't hers anymore, nor could he ever be. So then, why did she feel like killing herself every time, Meg made a move on him. Flora knew, at least she hoped, that Helia wouldn't fall for it. Well, the Helia she knew wouldn't fall for. But this new, non-pacifist Helia…that's a different story entirely. Just then, her phoned buzzed. She pulled it out of her jeans pocket, looked at the caller ID, and sighed deeply. _Trouble, _she thought. _He's always in trouble. _

* * *

Helia was aware of her surprise as he watched Mason go down. He didn't want her to know how these three years had changed him, but it was important that he beat Mason. He had to prove that he wasn't the "resident pretty-boy" as Jaryn so kindly put it. As he reached down to help Mason up, he noticed Flora's smile. He also noticed how her expression changed when his gaze fell on her. It bothered him more than it should have. It had only been two days. He didn't expect her to let him in, but it still stung every time she turned away from him.  
"Wow," said Mason, once he was on his feet. "I thought I'd make easy work out of you, but damn, you're good." He gave Helia a friendly thump on the back. "Congratulations."  
"Dude, what the hell was that? You just ended our best fighter!" Jaryn said exclaimed. Shoving his way between Helia and Mason.  
"Which, now, makes you our best fighter," said Meg, coming up behind Jaryn. She draped an arm on his shoulder and said in low whisper, "Which only makes you more attractive."  
Emelia rolled her eyes at Meg's forwardness. "Oh, my God, Meg. Can you at least get him alone before you jump his bones? Great job, by the way," she said turning to Helia, with a spark in her eye. "Maybe you and I should give it go sometime?" Helia had the creeping suspicion that she wasn't just talking about fighting. Soon, everyone was congratulating him, and challenging him to another fight. While it was all very flattering, he felt uncomfortable being the centre of attention. He wondered what Flora made of it. He turned toward the door, only to find her spot empty.

* * *

"This next part is gonna blow your mind." Helia had just recovered from his fight with Mason , and Jaryn though it would be fun to take him "someplace cool." He didn't know where Jaryn was leading him, but he didn't care. It was his first opportunity to ask him about Flora. "Seriously, gonna blow your mind."  
"I can't wait," Helia said quickly. Before Jaryn could say anymore, he cleared throat and began, "So, Scarlet," the name still sour in his mouth. "She's really something, huh."  
"You have no idea," he said with a chuckle. "Don't let any of the other girls know I said this, but she is, by far, the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.  
Oh," he exclaimed suddenly, eyes wide, frantically searching around, "Don't let Scar know I said that. She'd totally kill me."  
That was news to Helia, he knew compliments made her uncomfortable, but not to that extent.  
"Um, okay. But that's not what I'm talking about. How did she become the leader of a rebellion?"  
Jaryn was silent for a moment, "I don't really know. All I know is one day I get a call from her saying my uncle died, and the next I'm joining a rebellion. I was one of the first members, you know."  
Helia almost screamed out loud. Jaryn didn't know a damned thing.

"Okay, here we are," said Jaryn as they neared a door, which Helia assumed lead to the basement. "Are you ready to have your mind blown?"  
Jaryn opened the door and Helia's mind was definitely blown. Helia didn't know exactly what he was looking at, but it looked as if someone cut out a piece of Zenith a stuck it in the basement. And at the far side of the room, stood Flora talking with a girl who's name Helia had forgotten. Instantly, his heart began to hammer, as it always did when she was around.  
"Hey, Scar," Jaryn said as they went down the steps toward them. "Hey, Kalla. Loving the green hair."  
Kalla turned toward them, and said, "Thanks, Jaryn, and no, you can't touch it. Hi, Helia." She smiled at him. Helia smiled back, "Hi."  
Flora glanced at them and continued her conversation with Kalla.  
"This is the closest that you can track the signal?" she asked.  
"Yeah, he's definitely in that general area. There's too much interference to get an accurate trace on him though."  
"Ugh, I'm gonna kill him," said Flora, her low and tired.

"What's going on Scar?" Jaryn peered at the screen. "Ohhhhhh. Poor guy's in for it this time."  
Helia itched to know who they were talking about. He was about to ask when Flora pressed a button on the side of the console, sounding a low alarm. Within minutes, everyone was in the basement awaiting their leader's instruction.  
"Okay, everyone," her voice was loud and clear. Helia listened in awe as she spoke. "Caleb's got himself into trouble. Again. So, I have to go bail him out- "  
"Again," interjected Jaryn, gaining a chuckle from the crowd, including Flora.  
"Yeah, I think we should start taking turns. Anyway, while I'm away I want you all to keep a weather eye out for any information that could help us. But you are, under no circumstances, to act upon whatever information you may find. Understood?"  
There were sounds of general agreement from the room.  
"Vayda," she said, turning toward a girl with long, black hair, and dark skin. "I want to put a pause on your assignment. Resume when I get back."  
Vayda nodded sharply "Yes, mam."  
"Bethany, Connor, Ren. Carry on with your assignment. Secure your position within the palace."

And so she went giving orders like nothing Helia had ever seen before. She was confident and strong, and imposing with her tight ponytail and black clothes. And yet she spoke with the same grace and calm he had always known. Then she turned toward him. He hoped she was leaving him with some sort of assignment.  
"Jaryn, I want Helia to have a job by the time I get back. If not, he can have yours."  
_Job? What job? _He turned to Jaryn, expecting an explanation.  
"What! No! I love my job!"  
"Then get to it," she said.

* * *

After she had dismissed everyone, Flora sat alone her room for a moment. She didn't want to leave Helia. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that while she was gone, she would be wondering what Helia would be doing, who he'd be with…if he'd be with Meg. _You have a duty toward your team, _she reminded herself. _Maybe, if he came with me. It could be a training exercise…no. No. _She had to remind herself why she couldn't do that, shoving the proverbial dagger deeper into her heart. With a heavy sigh,she got her things and left.

* * *

**Well then, that's that. Hopefully I'll be able to update soon.  
Til the next chapter :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello all. How you been?  
Here's chapter 13. Hope you like it.  
**

**As always, no copyright infringement intended. I own nothing.**

* * *

Chapter 13

'Alchemica' said the sign above the metal door. Jaryn had dragged him there, saying that he had a surprise for him. In his experienced with Jaryn, Helia knew nothing good could come out of Jaryn's surprises. But it was either this, or staying at the house where Meg could 'get him alone.' Quite frankly, he preferred to keep a distance from Meg.  
Music from the building flowed out into the night air. It was no surprise that Jaryn had brought him to a club, but he wasn't sure why they were using the back entrance.  
"What are we doing here?" he asked as Jaryn opened the door.  
Jaryn, while bopping his head along to the music, said "This is where I work. You're looking at a bona fide bartender"  
"You have a job?" yelled Helia, trying to keep his voice above the music.  
"Yeah, we all have one, and Scar told me to get you one too, but I kinda forgot sooo…surprise."

Jaryn led Helia to a locker room where they met with a short, round man, who looked about as happy as forest fire.  
"You're late!" he barked at Jaryn.  
"Oh, relax Vic. This is my friend Helia. I was hoping you got a job for him. Maybe as one of bouncers? What with Wayne being out of commission and all…"  
Vic snorted, and scanned Helia from head to toe, "You kidding me? He's too pretty to be a bouncer." He turned to leave, but Jaryn stopped him.  
"Come on, Vic. You should see him throw a punch! Most beautiful thing you'd ever see in your life"  
Vic stopped and looked a Helia, then looked back to Jaryn.  
"He with you and that pretty girl?"  
Jaryn nodded, "Yeah, yeah. Scar trusts him with her life."  
"Fine then. He's at the bar with you," said Vic, and walked away mumbling about nothing in particular.

"There's you drink," Helia said as he slid a glass toward a pretty, blonde woman. It had been two weeks and all he had done was spar with the others during the day and serve drinks at night. Flora hadn't even come back from wherever she went yet. It drove him crazy knowing that she was somewhere he wasn't, with some guy that wasn't him. He worried for her safety, above all else. He wanted to be with her so that he could protect her like he used to. But that Caleb guy was probably doing all the protecting for him. He had asked about Caleb, but all anyone would say was that he was one hell of guy. Just then he noticed he was wiping the counter with vodka. He sighed heavily, and got the cleaning solution out.

"Your girl giving you problems?"  
Helia looked up to see the pretty blond watching him squeeze vodka out of the wash cloth. He smiled slightly, and said "No girl."  
"Ah, then that's the problem." She gave him a coy smile.  
Helia opened his mouth in reply, but Jaryn came flying in.  
"Hey, man. I need a huge favour! I need you to cover my shift. I just met some people who know how to have a real good time. Thanks man. I owe you one." And with that, he was off._  
_Helia just stared after him. _Great. Just great._ Now he was stuck here until the morning. He was looking forward to clocking out. He was tired and the obnoxious music was really getting to him, even though the bar was far away from any speakers.  
"Wow. Some friend you got there," said the pretty blonde.  
"Yeah, he's…yeah," Helia winced, unable to come up with anything better to say.  
The pretty blond laughed lightly.  
"So," she continued, "what's a guy like you doing in a place like this?"  
Helia let out a little laugh. That was certainly new.  
The pretty blond smiled sheepishly, and said "I'm sorry. That was so bad."  
"No, no, it was different. Much better than the usual 'hello,'" Helia replied, surprised at how easily banter flowed between the two of them.  
"Even so, let's keep this away from me," she said pushing her glass away from her. "My name's Maya, by the way."  
"Helia. My name's Helia."

* * *

It was around 8 in the morning when Helia finally got to the house. He could already hear a mix of voices coming from the other side. He sighed tiredly and pushed the door opened, hoping to slip by unnoticed.  
"Hey! Helia! Where you been?" came Jaryn's voice above the excitement. Helia shot him a death glare.  
"Oh, yeahhhhh," Jaryn said, suddenly remembering what an awful friend he was. "Nevermind."  
He turned toward the stairs, too tired to wonder what the excitement was all about, but it was Mason who beckoned him over.  
"Helia, come over here. There's someone we'd like you meet."  
The crowd parted to reveal, at its centre, Flora. Helia felt some of his tension melt away at seeing her safe and within his reach. But his relief was short-lived when he saw some guy, tall and chiselled, standing close next to her.  
Caleb.  
Immediately, Helia stood a little taller, pushing his tiredness down. He already didn't like this guy. Why did he have to stand so close to Flora anyway? Helia walked over to centre of the crowd. He could feel the threat in the Caleb's gaze. Helia was only too happy to return the sentiment. The tension between the two was palpable, so much so the crowd turned quiet, waiting to see who would break first.  
At last, Flora cleared her throat.  
"Helia, this is Caleb. Caleb, Helia-our newest member."  
Helia stuck out his hand and Caleb took it in a firm handshake that was maybe a bit too strong. Helia held his ground, tightening his grip.  
"So you're the guy that beat Mason, huh?" The corner of Caleb's mouth lifted slightly as he spoke. "Nice hair." His own was short and flicked in the front. Helia picked up on his slightly mocking tone, as did everyone else.  
"Okay, everyone," Flora clapped her hands to redirect their attention. "Let's clear the foyer. I'm sure you all have work to do. Caleb, go away. Helia, Emilia-come with me."

Helia could feel excitement rising in him. Finally, he was going to be of some use. Yeah, he was tired, but this was his first mission, so he stored his tiredness away, and prepared himself for his first mission in a rebel force.  
"Ren's intel from the other guards says that's there's shipment of supplies going to the palace today. And Bethany's managed to get the details of the hovercraft. What we're going to do is commandeer the hovercraft and take the supplies to Ventus, the rural area outside of Merla." They were in the basement discussing the mission plan. Helia learned that Ren and Connor worked undercover as palace guards and Bethany worked undercover as one of the palace maids. This was how they were able to gather information on palace dealings. "So, Vayda's going to hack the hovercraft's mainframe, and have it land at the designated area, where the two you will be waiting, to hijack the craft. Then take the craft to the coordinates that Vayda will send you. Any questions?"  
"Yeah, what happens when they realize their craft's gone off course?" asked Emilia.  
"I'll ghost its original trail, so that they won't realize it until it's too late. I'll also cover the craft's new trail for extra measure," answered Vayda casually. "Piece of cake."

* * *

Flora walked along the dusty roads of Ventus, with Mason and Kalla, waiting for Helia and Emilia to arrive. They had received word that they were on their way, but that was almost one hour ago. Flora was trying not to let her worry show. It was his first mission after all, and anything could go wrong. She remembered how their first mission as a rebel force went. A simple hijacking that left Caleb with a broken arm, Jaryn with his hair singed, and she had quite a sizable scar on her thigh. All because they accidently set of the self-destruct on the hovercraft, and only barely made it out before the craft exploded. She still couldn't believe that Helia was here. Of all the places he could've have been, he unknowing picked the one place she thought he'd never even consider. She wondered what had pushed him to join a rebellion, he, who couldn't even hurt a fly, was suddenly prepared to commit treason. Was she the reason behind it, or was it something else entirely. She itched to talk to him; to asked why he came here: to ask what he'd been doing all these years. But more that she itched to tell him everything that happened to her, all the things she's seen, all the places she's been. She wanted nothing more than to lean on his shoulder and relay all the wonderful things of the past three years to him. But she didn't know how to that without telling him all the awful things that had happen; she didn't know to exclude all the blood and strain of the past three years. She didn't know how to do all of these thing without letting him know that she still loves him. So it was best to say nothing, to keep her distance. The last thing she wanted to do was to break his heart again.

When all the supplies had been given out, mostly food and cookware, everyone gathered outside for an impromptu midday party. There was singing and dancing, and the biggest smiles Helia had ever seen in his life. It made him feel good knowing that he had helped in putting those smiles in place. He was sitting on a fallen tree, away from the frivolity, taking in Ventus; it small houses and dirt roads. Worst of all was that not much was able to grow in Ventus, and no amount of magic seemed to help with that. The people of Ventus were poor in a way a Helia had never thought possible for Linphea. Ventus wasn't even a place in Linphea until Krystal had come along, with her greed for power and wealth. He was appalled at her rule; he couldn't believe this was the same girl he once considered a friend. She had unashamedly taken from these people. He was glad that he was able to give some of it back to them.  
But as much as he enjoyed seeing other people happy, he waited impatiently for the moment they could leave. He was now exhausted and his eyes burned with the need to sleep. He leaned his elbows oh his knees, and put in his head in his hands. Maybe if he closed his eyes for a while, it wouldn't burn as much. He stayed like that until he felt the wait weight of another person next to him. He picked his head up to see Flora looking curiously at him.  
"Are you okay?" she asked, eyebrows raised.  
_No. No, I'm not. The girl I love isn't dead, like I thought, but instead is risking her life to lead a rebellion. And she apparently wants nothing to do with me, which is just bloody great.  
_"I'm fine," he said simply. Maybe now was the time to talk to her. Kalla was dancing with everyone, and Mason and Emilia had already taken the ship to be dismantled and sold on the black market. So it was just the two of them. Helia didn't know when this opportunity might rise again so he decided to at least broach the topic.  
"You know we need to talk, right?" he asked, his voice calmer than he expected it to be.  
Flora simply nodded, and continued t stared at him. Her brow furrowed, and her face move closer to his, "Why are your eyes so red?"  
Disappointment washed over him in a shallow, quiet wave.  
"Oh, I, uh, just need to sleep. I worked a double shift last night."  
At his reply, her expression grew hard and stern. It was an expression he had never seen on her before. "Then why the hell did you accept this mission? You should have stayed at the house and rested. And what the hell were you working a double shift for? I expressly told Vic not to-"  
"No, no. I was covering for Jaryn. He had a thing." Helia's heart fell as he spoke.  
"Ugh, that idiot. He is gonna get his ass kicked when we get back."  
He wasn't accustomed to Flora speaking so aggressively. Maybe she had changed, maybe she wasn't the girl he loved after all. Maybe that Flora really was dead after all.

She stood up suddenly, fists clenched. "Get ready, we'll leave soon" was all she said. Helia watched in utter defeat as she walked away. Was the girl he loved really gone? Was there really no hope at all. Right then, as if on cue, a little, stopped Flora and handed her something. He watched as Flora crouched down to the girl's level and hugged her tightly. When she pulled away, he caught her smile, her real smile; the smile he had missed for so long. It was then that he knew that his Flora was still there.

Hope was not lost.  
Not yet.

* * *

**Okay, so how'd it go? You know I do so love your reviews.  
****'Til the next chapter.  
Mwah**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey...how you been? Long time, huh.  
I'm so sorry I haven't uploaded in a while, but I'm trying to get my ish together, so please continue to be patient with me.  
Also a huge thank you for reading my story.  
With that said, let's get on with it shall we?**

* * *

Chapter 14

It was Sunday night, and everyone was hanging out in the common room talking about the night before. Everyone but Caleb and Helia, that is. They were all accustomed to Caleb's unannounced absences. It was Helia's absence they were interested in.  
"Last I saw him was at the club," said Kala, looking up from her computer screen.  
"Yeah, yeah," said Mason, nodding his head. "He was with that pretty blond girl. He left probably with her."  
"Damn, who knew my boy had it in him?" exclaimed Jaryn, clearly impressed.  
This, however, seemed to offend Meg on Helia's behalf. "Excuse me, but have you seen him? He's gorgeous! He doesn't have to do anything, and I'd-"  
"Okay, Meg. We get it," said Flora, keeping the irritation out of her voice. She was irritated that they were all casually talking about Helia, while he was off with some girl. And she was irritated that it irritated her. "What we don't get, however, is what happened between you and that waiter guy from the café?"  
"Oh, my God! You wouldn't believe it!" And with that Flora had steered the conversation toward something that didn't make her want to stick pins in her eyes.  
Meg was in the middle of her story, when Caleb burst in. He was bruised all over and covered in dirt, his clothes torn and singed.  
"What the hell happened to you?" asked Emilia, missing the frantic look in his eye. "Who'd you piss off this time?"  
"No…Helia...I…he…he's gone."

* * *

~Saturday night~

Flora sat at the bar in Alchemica, the music beating in her ear. If she had her way she would be back at the house in glorious silence. But they had just raided two more of the queen's supply ships and everyone was in high spirits, so she let them drag her along. She sat with her back against the bar, with Caleb next to her trying to speak above the music. If she was paying attention, she would've been able to make out what he was saying, but her attention had long since been drawn to the corner of the club. She watched as Helia talked and laughed with a pretty blonde girl. At first she tried to ignore them, to look only from the corner of her eye. But as the night went on, she found herself looking intently, almost willing Helia to look her, so that he would know she could see them. It was an off logic, but jealousy is as jealousy is.  
And, oh was she jealous.

In past few days, Flora found that as much as she could lie to Helia, she could no longer lie to herself. She was jealous of this pretty blonde who caught Helia's attention. Not because it wasn't herself that Helia was paying to. No, she was jealous because she longer knew how to make Helia laugh like that; she was jealous because she could no longer make easy banter with him without it turning into an interrogation; she was jealous because she didn't know how to be that close to Helia without trying to get closer…  
She smiled ruefully to herself. It was ironic that all she wanted to do was to be close to him, but she did everything she could to be as far from him as possible. She dreaded the moment when he finally caught her alone. She almost groaned out loud. The minute they were alone, he would start the talk she so stupidly agreed to. That was the other reason she avoided him. She knew what he would ask. But she didn't know was what she was going to say. Somehow 'I left because I needed to' didn't seem like enough of an answer.

* * *

Caleb knew that Scarlett wasn't paying attention to him. He knew the exact moment when her gazed shifted to the corner of the club, to where Helia stood talking to a pretty blond girl. Eventually, she had left his company, saying that the noise was giving her a headache. But he knew it probably had something to do with Helia's proximity to the pretty blond.  
_That goddamn Helia, _he thought. He didn't like Helia, not from the moment that they had met. He didn't like the way he looked at Scarlett. He especially hated the way Scarlett looked at him. He and Scarlett had been together since the start of this rebellion. Sure, it wasn't 'together' in a way he would've liked, but he was working on it. And now this long-haired clown shows up and steals Scarlett away from him. He needed to show Scarlett that this guy wasn't worth her time. He needed to show her that he was a better man than Helia could ever be. But how would he do it? He couldn't challenge him to a fight. Mason was ten times the fighter than he was. And if Helia could take down a big guy like that, Caleb could only imagine what Helia would do to him. No, challenging Helia to a fight would only end in embarrassment. He had to think of something else.

Caleb had decided to have Helia do something that would piss Scarlett off. And nothing did that more than an unauthorized mission. He would send Helia on a wild goose chase, which would result in a waste of time, and a waste of resources. And if anyone asked, Caleb decided he would manipulate any involvement. Really, who would they believe? Him, or this guy they've known all of five minutes?  
Finally, the blond girl left. This was his chance to set things in motion. As he made his way across the club, a new idea came to him. Something that would do more than just pissed Scarlett off. It would most likely end in Helia being kicked out of the house, and better yet, out Scarlett's good graces.

* * *

It was 3am and Helia found himself on a hoverbike, tailing Caleb. He was on his way to look for Flora so that they could talk, when Caleb came to him, desperate for help. He had messed up a mission and apparently, Helia was the only one who could help. Helia doubted that very much, but agreed to help anyway. Yeah, he didn't like Caleb, but he could put that aside for the good of the rebellion. They were on the road for more than an hour already and Helia Caleb still hadn't told him where they were going.

From Merla, they had gone through Ventus, passed the house, and started on a dirt road that seemingly lead to nowhere. At last they had come to a stop. They parked their bikes on the side of the road, and began to walk toward a lit area. There Helia found small houses all clustered together between dirt roads. He noticed that the lights were torches tied to poles, and lanterns that hung on clothes lines that connected the buildings. He also noticed something that made him hyperaware and slightly nervous. There were hooded figures guarding the perimetre of this makeshift town. And as they got near the hooded figures increased in number. But Caleb kept on moving closer until the hooded figures pulled out their weapons. They did it in unison, and with a precision that comes with years of practice. Helia looked to Caleb for any sort of prompt as to what to do. But all he did was smirk and say "Welcome to Darkhaven."

* * *

~Sunday night~

"What do you mean 'gone'? Caleb, what did you do?"  
Flora stood, a few feet in front of Caleb; her heart pounding in her chest, her blood cold with fear. The room fell deathly silent as they waited for Caleb's answer. Flora saw the fear in his eyes. Fear, and something else.  
Guilt.  
It was guilt. _What did he do? _  
She narrowed her eyes at him, took a breath, and asked again. "Caleb. What did you do?"  
He looked helpless in front of her, but she didn't care. _If anything had happed to Helia I'm going to-_  
"I took him to Darkhaven."  
There were several gasps that came from the room, denouncing the silence.  
"Darkhaven? You took him to Darkhaven?" Flora's voice raised a few octaves as she spoke. "Why the hell would you take him there?"  
Caleb opened his mouth to speak, but Flora never gave him the chance. Her blood boiled, and her fear grew.

"You said that he was 'gone.' What happened?"  
Caleb's eyes darted around the room, unable to meet anyone's gaze.  
"Caleb, I am quickly losing patience with you. If you don't tell me what the hell happened this second-"  
"There was a fire," he said quickly, his voice strained and quiet. "Helia, he went in to save some kids…and he…he never came back out. We looked through the remains…but…Scar, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean…I'm so sorry."  
The room fell silent again, the sickly kind of silence that comes with disbelief-but only for a moment. The silence was broken by quiet sobbing coming from Kala and Meg. Flora looked around the room and saw everyone rubbing their eyes. They were all seated in the heavy way of those in mourning. Flora felt as if her knees would give way, as if she would collapse and never get up. Her heart thudded in her ears, drowning out everything else. She knew she had to be strong for her team. This was not the moment to fall apart. She was their leader. She had to stand strong. She took in a deep breath and steeled her nerves.  
"Bethany, see to Caleb's injuries, please. Emilia, you're in charge."  
Emilia stood, her voice thick with the strain of holding her tears, "Where are you going?"  
"I'm going to Darkhaven."

* * *

**There we have it. Let me know what you think, yeah?**

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.****'Til the next chapter :P**


	15. Chapter 15

**HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!  
I hope you have a wonderful year. **

**Also, I'm sorry if this chapters sucks. I wrote it like 7 times and this is the best one.  
And please don't hate me for taking so long to update. I really am terribly sorry.  
****No copyright infringement intended.**

* * *

Chapter 15

Flora came storming in, knocking out two of the guards, demanding to know where Helia was. Their leader, an Amazon of a woman with long black hair, came to greet her-with rest of the residents of Darkhaven in tow.  
"Ah, Scarlett, what a lovely surprise. Whatever brings you here?" she said, her tone mockingly saccharine. On a normal day these two woman did not get along. A day like this brought out the worse in them.  
"Don't toy with me, Marina! Where the hell is he?" she demanded again.  
The two woman stared each other down, ready for a fight, until eventually, Marina spoke.  
"I will only indulge you because he saved my children. If it weren't for him, they would not be alive. Come with me"  
She turned sharply, walking quickly. Seething, Flora followed, trying hard to ignore the stares. God, she hated this place. Its people were callous and stubborn. She had once tried to form an alliance with them, but Marina would have nothing to do with it. They would rather thrive as a gang town, thieving and conning, than fighting for their world. Since then, Flora and Marina avoided each other and their respective cause.

"Here we are," said Marina when they came to small paint-chipped house.  
Flora followed her in, and she instinctively took note of her surroundings. To her left was a kitchen area, where Marina was already putting tea-of all things-on the stove. To her right was a sitting area. It was warm and homely. Further down, Flora saw two doors- a bedroom, and bathroom, she assumed. She looked back to Marina, who only jerked her head toward the door to Flora's right. Flora walked slowly to the door, and paused in front of it.  
_Maybe…_She looked to Marina again, and noticed that she had only taken out two cups.  
Just two.  
Something long forgotten had shattered inside her.  
Helia was really dead.  
_Her _Helia was dead.  
She had hoped, against all odds, that Caleb had been wrong, somehow Helia had survived. How foolish…  
Her throat began to ache, but she swallowed her grief. She would not let Marina see her like this.  
Her hand shook as she reached for the door handle.  
Quickly, before she lost her nerve, she opened the door.

* * *

_Is this is it?  
Is this how I die?  
No…not now…_

Flames caught his hair, smoke filled his lungs. Was he on fire? He didn't know. All his mind focused on was finding those children.  
He followed their cries, but he couldn't find them.  
The smoke stung his eyes; he could barely see.  
Was that burning flesh he smelled?  
His own or the children's?  
Again, he searched blindly in the flames.  
Find them, find them, find them…

Helia jerked awake, disoriented; heart thumping in his ears. There was no smoke, no flames…no cries for help. He looked at his hands, his bare chest, expecting burnt and unsightly flesh, but he was unblemished, save for the scar on his left side. He ran his hands through his hair, expecting half of it to be singed, but it was the same as it has ever been. He then took hold of his surroundings. He was in a small bedroom, moonlight filtering from the window behind him. He turned toward it and saw a calm, night sky-beautiful by any measure. _Where am I? Was there even a fire?_

He swung his legs over the bed, and took the time to notice that someone had at least given him pants. They were black, cotton pants that sat way too low for his liking, but he was grateful nonetheless. He saw a black t-shirt neatly folded on the bedside table. He put it on and felt only slightly better. He braced his hands on either side of him and played back the events of the night before. He remembered the club, he remembered Maya, he remembered Flora's gaze on him. He also remembered the distinct satisfaction he felt when he saw Flora's attention was on him instead of Caleb.  
_Caleb! He brought me here!_  
Where was here? Where was Caleb? Helia racked his memory. Everything after the club was fuzzy at best. It felt like a terrible hangover. But it wasn't-that much he was sure of. He tried again. The club, Caleb asking for help. Hooded guards…hooded guards that wouldn't let them through. Slowly, it was coming back to him. He remembered Caleb starting a fight with the guards-he didn't fare well. He remembered the two of them being dragged to someone called…called what? _Marin? Mary? Maria, maybe?_  
Whoever she was, she seemed to be a big deal. They came to a house, bigger than all the rest. They were being pushed up the steps to the houses when all of a sudden, it came alight, throwing them back. Helia remembered the sting of the burn. A woman shouting, running toward the house; children's cries from within…  
The last thing he remembered was running into the flaming to house. As Helia tried to remember more, the door creaked opened. He stood, ready to greet someone with an explanation. But instead, the sight, as always, stopped his heart entirely.

Flora's grip on the door tightened, the metal digging painfully into her palm. But it was all that was keep her from jumping into his arms and staying there forever.  
He was alive.  
And looking back her in a way that made her heart ache.  
But before either of them could say anything, Marina nudged past her, and casually announced that the tea was ready. Without a word, they followed her to a small table in the kitchen. They sat down and Marina placed a cup of tea in front of Helia, and sat herself down with the other cup. Flora narrowed her eyes at Marina, momentarily forgetting the ache in her chest. _This bloody woman…  
_Marina caught her look and matched it with a coldness of her own. "I'm sorry, Scarlett," she started, "But my hospitality towards only goes as far as letting you be here."  
"I would expect nothing less from the like of you," Flora replied, crossing her arms, ready for Marina's retort.  
Instead, she heard Helia clear his throat loudly and deliberately.  
"Those children…are they alright?"

Helia-ever the peacemaker…even now. She had to stop herself from smiling. Her leaving hadn't completely changed him. He was different, yes, but he was still the man who would risk his life for people he had never met. The ache in her chest made a return, slightly stronger, slightly worse.  
"My children are fine, thanks to you," answered Marina in a voice Flora never thought capable of her.  
"It was nothing, really. How did the fire start?" Helia asked, sipping his tea. He must be starving, Flora mused, and all he was a cup of tea.  
"My girls. They were playing around with magic they didn't understand. And it wasn't 'nothing,'" she went on. "Your injuries were quite severe. It took three of my people to heal you."  
"Thank you very much," Helia said, "You have very good people around you."  
As they continued their conversation, it struck Flora how Helia must've felt when he saw her that day in her office, after believing she was dead. It was a terrible, awful feeling that, coupled with the ache in her chest, made Flora wish she hadn't had a heart. Although, it must've have been worse, as her first reaction to him was to step away …to confuse him…to hurt him. Maybe she didn't have a heart after all. She felt tears sting her eyes.  
"I think we should leave now," she said suddenly, and made her way to the door before Marina could say anything.

* * *

**Thank you for reading, and thank you for all ****wonderful reviews.  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hello All.  
Hope all is well.  
Here it is. Chapter 16.  
I don't know...  
**

**No copyright infringement intended**

**Ps: Thank you for all the reviews and follows. I really do appreciate it.**

* * *

Chapter 16

Helia had a particularly rough shift at the club tonight. All he wanted to do was lay down and fall into a deep sleep. But instead he lay awake thinking and thinking and thinking. It had been a week since he returned from Darkhaven and Flora hadn't said a word to him. Caleb had taken off. Everyone looked at him as if he was like some god returned from the dead. It unnerved him. He thought the club would be a nice reprieve, but Jaryn never left him alone, and Maya, the girl from the bar, kept flirting with him, and kept pretending not to notice. He quickly became restless, energy thrumming through his veins.

Five minutes later he found himself in the gym beating the hell out of a punching bag. Weeks of frustration tearing through the sack of sand, making it old before its time. He beat the bag until his knuckles were rubbed raw and red. One last punched had the bag swinging back and forth. He caught it before the squeaking metal chain drove him mad. He stood there, chest heaving as sweat dripped off his brow, and down his bare back. He rested his head on the punching bag, as if it would give him comfort. He breathed in, slow and deep, and as his breathe calmed, so too did his thoughts. He closed his eyes, trying to hold on to that small peace he had managed to achieve.

"I don't think that's how it's done."  
And gone was the calm, his head and heart a storm once more. Flora stood in the doorway, leaning on the door frame, arms crossed. He noticed that this was how she always stood, leaning on something, arms always crossed, hair always tied back. He was stunned that she was actually talking to him, but recovered quickly, playing along.  
"And how is it done, pray tell?" he said, walking slowly toward her.  
Her gaze flitted over the scar on his side before she said, "Well, I'm almost certain you have to punch the thing, instead of, you know, hugging it."  
"Riiight, and I don't suppose you could show me?" he teased, knowing full well that Flora didn't fight.

Flora smirked in response, taking her weight off the door frame. She took her jacket off to reveal a black sports bra. Suddenly, Helia got very hot, and very bothered. Where before Flora was slim, now muscles corded her midsection, giving her a dangerous look. Helia swallowed thickly, uncertain of what to do and where to look. It wasn't like this was the first time he had seen Flora like that. He had seen her with much less clothes on. Helia shook the thought out of his head before it could go further. Thinking these things would only add to his current discomfort. So, he hadn't noticed when Flora picked two bo staffs from a pile on the floor and threw one to him. He caught it purely out of reflex, still trying to work out what was happening. He was still staring at her when suddenly, he was on his back. Flora stood triumphantly over him, leaning on her staff. _Did she just…_

* * *

He was on his feet quicker than she anticipated. But she deftly evaded his attack. She countered, jabbing him in his side-the side with the scar. Her eyes lingered there for a moment, and Helia took advantage of that, bring the staff down on her shoulder. He didn't hurt her, he never would, she knew, but it stung enough to spur her on. She spun on the ball of her foot, using the momentum to slam the weapon hard into his side. He grunted with pain and looked at her in shock. She had to show him that she could fight too, that this was how much she had changed. Exercising restraint was not going to help her prove that. While he stood frozen, she pulled her staff back and thrust it into his stomach. He doubled over, but only momentarily. He quickly righted himself, just as her staff came down toward his shoulder. He blocked her attack, and prepared for his own. This is how they carried on, blocking and attacking-neither giving in. Eventually, Helia had manged to somehow disarm her, but she quickly dropped down and swung her legs beneath him, knocking him on to his back. Before he could get up, she straddled him, pinning his arms to the floor.  
Victory.

But not quite.  
Before she knew it, Helia had flipped her, and she had her back pressed onto the cold floor. She pushed her hip up to flip him off her, but then made the mistake of catching his gaze. And just like that, she relaxed beneath him, looking up into the fire in his eyes. His hair fell over his shoulder, lightly brushing her cheek in the way she missed so much. Her pulse quickened, blood flowing hot. This was too familiar, too safe. As much as she was to give in, to kiss him for everyday she had been away, she couldn't…  
She brought her hand up to his shoulder, lingering for a moment on his hot skin, then pushed him roughly off her. And as he landed with a heavy thud, she fled.

* * *

Helia stood under the shower, cold water pelting his skin. He replayed the events of that morning in his head. First, the fact that Flora could fight. His sweet, non-violent Flora could inflict some serious damage. His side and stomach were blue and painful, thanks to her. He'd like to say that she had taken in him down because he had let her, because he hadn't been trying. But Flora took him down because she was that good. It was a glimpse into the person she had become. But this only raised more questions than it answered. Who taught her to fight like that? Why had she needed to learn to fight in the first place?

But his thoughts didn't stay too long on that train. Instead it jumped to afterwards…to when they were both on the floor, his body achingly close to hers, the familiar feel of her beneath him. God, how he missed her. He had seen the desire in her eyes, he hoped she saw it in his. It was the first time since arriving here that he saw her walls coming down, if only momentarily. When her hand lingered on his shoulder, he had thought that maybe they just might…but she had shoved him away, and now he stood alone, and bereft.


	17. Chapter 17

**Yeah, I know it's been more than forever.  
Just kill me now, and get it over with.**

* * *

Chapter 17

"Have you've found the rebellion yet?" The Queen of Linphea spoke, not unkindly, but it was enough to instil fear in the pawn before her.  
"No, your majesty, not yet. But I know who their leader is."  
"Well, should I guess, or are you going to tell me?"  
"Apologies, your majesty. Their leader is woman named Scarlett."  
"I see. Now that information is no good to me unless I know where to find her, don't you think?"  
"Y-yes, your majesty."  
"Then go. I have a party to plan."  
"Y-yes, your majesty."  
The Queen of Linphea did not tolerate idleness. Nor did she tolerate rebel forces. There had been those who stood against her before. Dangerous people, with dangerous skills, and she had taken care of them easily. No woman named Scarlett would be the end of her.  
She wouldn't tolerate it. But for now, there was a party to plan.

* * *

"So, Krystal is having a party. A huge one. Royals from all over, from what I hear," said Bethany, who worked undercover as a palace maid.  
"This is the third one this year," said Flora. "And I think it's time we were invited."  
Everyone look at her, confused, waiting for her to elaborate.  
"We've been operating out of the shadows for over a year now. Yeah, we've helped people. But we're not any closer to our objective than when we started. We're a rebellion. I say it's time we rebelled."  
And with that, her fellowship erupted into cheers.  
By day's end Flora was spent. They had planned their big move to the last detail. Who would do what, and who would be where. And how and why and when. All that was left was to acquire the supplies they needed. They had two weeks in which to be ready. Two weeks to quell her fears…

* * *

It was later that night, when sleep had left him, that Helia stumbled across Flora outside, gazing up the moon. The minute he saw her, the events of that morning played in his mind.  
"Where'd you learn to fight like that?" he said, coming up behind her.  
Without turning to him she said, "Ares. Jaryn's uncle."  
"Oh," he didn't think she'd actually answer him. He was caught unawares, but recovered quickly. "Jaryn said he died."  
"He was killed," she said quietly, arms crossed, still turned away from him.  
"What happened?" Helia ventured slowly.  
Finally, she was opening up to him. He treaded carefully, wary that he might say something to shut her off again.  
"There was a hitman after him. He told me to hide. And, so I did. He told me that I had to follow through with his plan no matter what. So…I did."  
He wanted to reach out to her but his arms remained glued to his side. "What plan? That rebellion?"

She turned to him then. He expected tears in her eyes, but they were clear as day. "Yes. He planned to lead a rebellion, a stronghold, into the palace and take the throne by conquest. But as he lay dying, the plan fell to me. But this is all I could manage. Me and my misfits, stealing and conning. Barely a rebellion," she said softly, turning away from him again.  
Helia wanted to ask more questions, to know more, but her words stopped him. It was so different from how she was earlier, confidently planning an attack. Now, she sounded defeated…like she had already failed Ares-this man who was so important to her.  
He wanted to know more. But instead of asking, he put a hand on her shoulder, and turned her toward him. He looked her straight in the eye. He saw a dullness there, one he never noticed before. Where once her eyes sparkled like jewels, now they were lifeless, filled with sorrows he knew nothing of.

Maybe it was the night air, or maybe it was the pain in her eyes, or maybe sleep deprivation made him stupidly confident. Whatever it was, he knew his senses had left him. His gaze stayed fixed on Flora's, as his hand slid down to her wrist, pulling her close. His other hand, rested lightly on her hip. He was only slightly shocked when her hands came to rest on his chest. The contact made him pause. But only enough to see that she looked at him with the way she did that morning on the floor in the gym. It gave him courage. It made weak. Quickly, before she slipped away, he brought his lips to hers.

He'd been starved of her for too long. He needed to show her that. So, he pulled her closer, flush against him. And, in turn, she responded by running her hand all over him, as if exploring him for the very first time. It was Flora who deepened the kiss, pulling on his bottom lip, slipping her hands underneath his shirt. He shivered at her touch, at the power she had over him. This moment, alone with her in the moonlight…It felt like forever.

And just like that, forever was cut short when she pulled her hands from his skin and roughly shoved him away.  
"I'm sorry…but, I can't…" she said by way of explanation.  
She turned to walk away but he caught her wrist, refusing to let her go.  
"What the hell was that?" His voice was a harsh whisper, raw emotion  
"Let go, Helia," her voice equally harsh.  
"Not until you talk to me!"  
She steeled her gaze, desire replaced with warning.  
"I told you before. The girl you knew no longer exists. Why can't you just leave it at that? What do you want from me?" She tried to pull free from his grasp, but he held on tight.  
"I want you to look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me anymore."  
It was a selfish request, he knew. Of all the answers to demand, this was not probably not the best. But he had to know. It was the one thing one thing he had to know that would stay the same. No matter how differently she behaved, he hoped at least her love remained. That way, he still had a chance.

"I don't love you anymore."


	18. Chapter 18

**Hiii. Here's chapter 18. I hope you like it.  
Also, thank you for all the awesome reviews. You guys are the greatest.  
Also again, I'm sorry I suck at updating. I really do try to update sooner but I don't know what happens.**

**No copyright infringement intended**

* * *

Chapter 18

Flora's pulse thumped wildly in her ears as she walked away, already missing the proximity between them. She cursed herself for letting her guard down. She shouldn't have told him anything. She should've just walked away. But his presence was so comforting. Having him there, it was the calmest she'd had felt all day. Although she talked a big talk, she was fearful of their plan. Anything could go wrong. And if it did, it would be her responsibility…her failure. Helia's presence distracted her from those thoughts. He distracted her so much so that she forgot to be Scarlett. She let her walls down and opened up to him. And then suddenly he was kissing her, and she was kissing him. And then she had to push him away, and hurt him all over again.

Now she sat at the edge of her bed, restless and guilty, tears threatening to spill. Of all the awful things she could've said. Of all the things he could've have asked, he had asked that…Flora closed her eyes. She immediately saw that broken expression on his face.. His image stayed in her mind as she cried silently. How long since she had let herself cry like this? She had forgotten. Maybe this was why being around Helia was so comforting. It made remember who she was. Even though now she was stronger and braver, she missed her former self. She missed the part of her that allowed herself to love and be loved. She missed the part of her that was innocent.

* * *

After an entire day of searching, Jaryn had finally found him. Helia had been M.I.A for the past two days, and Jaryn was worried. It wasn't like Helia to just take off without warning when he had committed himself to something. Everyone at the house had come to learn that about him, and they, too, started to wonder. Jaryn knew that Helia wouldn't want to draw concern when he finally decided to come back, so he just told everyone that Helia and that blonde girl, Maya, were spending an extended time together. He doubted that Helia would appreciate that either, but he didn't quite care. Serves him right for taking off and leaving him to deal with an irate Vic.

He had found him in a bar, in a relatively quiet part of Merla, with glass of whiskey, barely touched, before him. Jaryn sighed. This was how he was when he had bumped into him in Magix. Only now, he looked more morose, if that was possible.  
"Hey," he said as he sat down on the stool beside Helia.  
"Hey," came the dejected reply. Helia hadn't even looked up from his glass. He just sat there swirling the liquid around, then finally brought it to his lips.  
'Wanna talk about it?"  
Helia didn't speak, only shook his head ever so slightly.  
"Right then, should I just leave?"  
Again, no response-just a shrug of the shoulders.  
But Jaryn hadn't spent all this time looking for his friend just to let him sit comatose at a bar, especially after what he had witnessed.

* * *

_Goddammit, _Helia thought, as Jaryn sat next to him. Even though he was well intentioned, Helia wanted him to leave. He couldn't tolerate his own company, let alone someone else's. He figured if he didn't speak Jaryn would finally give up and go away. Then he could go back to his wretched loneliness. After three days of being avoided by Flora, he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take how she could pretend that everything okay. He couldn't take how unaffected she behaved, while he was falling apart. He couldn't take that she didn't love him, while, if anything, he couldn't love more. So, he decided to take a walk. He hadn't planned on leaving, but now, two days later he was sitting in this nameless bar, mourning his loss for the second time.

Jaryn, who hadn't left yet, heaved a great big sigh. "I saw you and Scarlett the other night. Together."  
Helia set his glass down, hair covering his expression from his friend. When he didn't say anything, Jaryn continued. "Look, I know you miss your girl, and that she was everything to you, but you can't use Scarlett to fill that void, man."  
At this, Helia let out a mirthless chuckle. What lie could he possibly tell now? Jaryn wasn't stupid-far from it. He'd know if Helia lied. But even if he could come up with a half-way decent lie, he found that he didn't want to tell it. He was tired of lying, tired of keeping this to himself. And so, he pulled the picture of him and Flora out of his pocket, and slid it to Jaryn.

"Dude, what's…" he trailed of, eyes wide, mouth agape. But he recovered from his shock quickly enough. "This is you and Scarlett! When was this picture taken? How long have you known each other for? Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't she say anything? Why did you pretend you didn't know each other? Goddammit, Helia, say something!"  
Finally he turned toward Jaryn and said, "That's Flora." Slowly, realization fell on Jaryn. Then, as steady as his emotions allowed, Helia told him everything from the moment they met, 'til the moment she pushed him away for good.

* * *

Jaryn listened intently to Helia. It was like he was listening to some fairy tale. He couldn't believe that Flora and Scarlett was the same person. Nor could he believe what Helia had to go through: to have to pretend not to love someone. While Helia spoke, he could hear his pain, and now at the end, there were tears in his eyes. Jaryn didn't know what to say. So, he ordered a whiskey for himself, and sat with his friend, his mind jumping from Helia's heartache to Scarlett's other life.

* * *

Helia waited for Jaryn to say something, but he remained uncharacteristically silent. And he was grateful for it. Quietly, he let a few tears slip down his face. He tipped the rest of his drink back and hoped that Jaryn hadn't noticed. Eventually they decided to head back to the house. They also decided it was best if Flora knew nothing of this. Helia was content stick to Jaryn's original lie.  
It was late the next morning when they finally made it to the house. They had trekked through the dawn, slow and weary. It was a wonder they made it back at all. When they walked through the front door, both men expected some form of welcome, but instead they were greeted only by the vase of flowers in the foyer.

"Hello!" Jaryn called out.  
"Kitchen!" came the reply.  
All Helia wanted to do was sleep, but he followed Jaryn to the kitchen anyway, sighing softly. He just hoped Flora wasn't there.  
They got to the kitchen, and there sat Caleb, nursing a broken nose.


End file.
